The Latte Girl
by lorgeous
Summary: Life throws curve balls at us every day... Heather just looked at this as another barrier in her journey that she had to leap over. What if Heather was never casted on Glee? A Heya RPF.
1. Prologue

Title: The Latte Girl

Rating: PG-13 for now, subsequent to change

Summary: Life throws curve balls at us every day... Heather just looked at this as another barrier in her journey that she had to leap over. What if Heather was never casted on Glee? A Heya RPF.

Pairings: Naya/Heather, Other: Heather/OC, Naya/Mark

Disclaimer: This fic is RPF! I do not own anything, this is a complete work of fiction. I DO NOT know either of these women nor am I affiliated with Glee or its creators. I also do not own the song "Taylor, The Latte Boy," by Kristin Chenoweth which this fic is loosely based on. These two are not a couple… unfortunately.

Spoilers: Season 1 so far

All grammatical and spelling errors are my own. I apologize in advance for any.

A/N: One day, I was listening to my iPod and suddenly Kristin Chenoweth's "Taylor, the Latte Boy," came up on my shuffle. The storyline just hit me after I closely listened to the lyrics... The story was also inspired by many other concepts as well as some lines... I have to give credit to the amazing musicals of A Chorus Line and Singin' In The Rain. I feel like those two shows are the best tribute to dancers out there. Enjoy the story.

**The Latte Girl**

**Prologue**

It's been three years. It's been three years since she's moved to L.A. Now is her chance. She's been waiting for this moment to come for what feels like forever. She's been dancing since she could walk and now, finally, she felt like she was going to catch her big break.

Heather Morris fidgeted nervously on her bar stool chair at the counter of her home. She cradled a mug of freshly brewed coffee in her hands as she pointlessly turned over the pages of some ancient magazine that was lying in her kitchen. You can tell it was out dated when you're reading an article about the Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes surprise engagement. With the ear buds of her iPod stuck in her ears, she didn't hear her groggy roommate shuffle into the kitchen to pour herself her own cup of caffeine. Ashley looked over to Heather who was bobbing and swaying to whatever she was listening to. Even that she did perfectly… She smiled and shook her head at her friend.

"Someone looks excited!" she all but shouted at Heather, who plucked her headphones out as she realized the second body in the room.

"It's not a big deal…" Heather tried to shrug off, but her feet continued to tap against the wooden bar stool, unable to contain her energy.

"Yeah… sure it isn't," Ashley replied sarcastically.

"I told you. I'm not getting my hopes up on this one… I need to get serious with this stuff. If I don't get it then—"

"Yah, yah… you're gonna settle down… blah, blah, blah… I know Heather. You told me a million times," Ashley said, looking to her knowingly over her cup of coffee.

"Well, then why do I have to keep reminding you?" Heather said. Her lips quirked as she leered through her eyelashes at the stout brunette.

Ashley shrugs, "Because. You're my best friend. I know you'll never give up."

Heather simply smiled sadly to herself as she absentmindedly fiddled with the corner of one of the pages of her magazine. She had promised herself that this would be her last dance audition. It's been three years… She wasn't getting any younger. Sure she has had her fair share of experience. Heather had danced on tour with Beyoncé, even featured in a few movies and TV shows… but still. She was always in the background. She didn't mind, in fact, most of the time she actually liked it. She enjoyed being the behind the scenes person, knowing that she was contributing to something much greater. Even though the pay could be better, at least she was getting paid nonetheless and for something she was passionate about. But for some reason, she had this constant burning sensation in the pit of her stomach that was roaring out at her. She knew she was meant for something more. It didn't matter how much she wanted it though if she couldn't book a job. Nothing about this job was stable. She was constantly waiting on chance for a call or an opportunity to dance for someone.

A dancer's life is a hard one to live. There were the injuries, the rejection, the traveling, the constant unemployment, and the age factor… Dancers always put themselves on timelines, dreading every birthday. It was really the most unrealistic profession out there. But she couldn't help herself. She was going try her damn hardest to kick her legs for as long as she could… Heather loved to dance. It was the one thing in her life that was constant; that she could always rely to fall back on. She realized it was something she could never fathom to sacrifice once she got into college. She couldn't even last a year without it and quickly decided to drop out and move out to L.A. to pursue her one love in life.

Although her mother was weary of the idea, Ms. Morris was the most supportive mom Heather could have ever asked for. It wasn't till late that her biggest fan really started to have major concerns over her situation… Heather would never forget that phone call.

"_Honey, I'm just worried about you. It's not the most ideal conditions you're living in."_

"_Mom, I told you… I'm fine. I'm still taking care of the bills and I still have a roof over my head."_

"_Well, the last time I saw you, you looked so thin! I know you haven't been eating well. It really isn't healthy."_

"_I have to make some cuts somewhere. But it's okay. I think I'm gonna catch a big break soon. Zach called me last week and—"_

"_Heather, I know that you're working hard and Zach always does his best to find you work, but… you can't rely on these little jobs forever, hon. Maybe it's time you reconsidered your career for the future?"_

"_Mom? Are you telling me you think I should give up on dance?"_

"_Of course not, honey. I think you are the most beautiful and most talented dancer in Los Angeles. I'm just suggesting that maybe you should take a little break for a while. We're in a recession you know, and it seems like the business isn't doing so well with all that Writer's Strike nonsense…"_

"_Mom that was last year. I think you've been watching too much TV lately…"_

"_Just think about it. I'm worried about you. Your sisters are too… Times are tough and it's not going to get easier any time soon. This may be for the best, if only for a little while. Just do it for me so I know you're making some source of income."_

"_Heather?"_

"_Still here…"_

"_Will you do that for me?"_

"_Yeah… sure Mom."_

The faint memory made Heather frown. She knew her mother believed in, she would never stop… but it still hurt to hear her say what Heather knew she needed to hear. She was just trying to be a good mother.

Heather took a slow sip from her steaming cup of coffee and inhaled deeply, attempting to relax herself. The soothing scent of smooth coffee grounds and sweet hazelnut cream normally washed over her and swept her worries away. Today was different though…

When Zach had described a bit of the show to her, she was instantly intrigued with the idea. A high school show choir… she definitely hadn't seen anything like that on TV. Even though she wasn't sure how the concept would take off, she knew that being a part of a show like this was perfect for her. It was every performers dream to be a part of something like this… Sing, dance, act… even if Heather wasn't too confident in the last department. Zach, knowing her background with the Beyoncé Experience Tour, asked her to step in to teach some of the kids the Single Ladies dance. He hinted that there was a job opening for a small role in the cast. If her cards were dealt right, she would get the part. That's what Zach told her… _Easy_, she thought. Heather hated herself for being so hopeful, but the job really was perfect.

Heather sighed.

"Hey…" Ashley had come up beside Heather. The blonde looked over to her shorter, brunette roommate. "No matter what happens, it's going to be amazing. Life will go on either way."

Heather smiled appreciatively, "I know, but I told you… Not getting my hopes up."

"If you say so… I guess I'll just have to hope for you then," Ashley rubbed her shoulder. "If worst comes to worst, you can just become a writer and make fabulous shorts with me."

Heather rolled her eyes.

"Yes… because becoming a writer is a much more stable career than a dancer… Smart idea," Heather joked.

"Of course. Everything I say is ingenious."

"Oh God…" Heather said getting up out of her chair and over to the sink to rinse her cup, "Let me just get out of your way here. I feel like I'm crowding your abnormally large ego that's taking up the room."

"You know it sister…"

Heather shook her head at her Ashley as she grabbed her bag to leave. She popped in one ear bud and turned to the still disheveled girl before her.

"I should get going… I'll tell you what happens tonight," with that Heather made her way out the door.

"Good luck! Go booty shake the shit out of 'em!" Ashley shouted as Heather walked outside, stopping to wag her bottom at Ashley briefly before closing the door behind her. Ashley chuckled to herself knowingly, sipping at the amazing coffee Heather always brewed.

* * *

><p>Heather stood small under the large archways of the Paramount lot entrance. She shifted her shoulder bag nervously and tugged down at her zip-up hoodie. She thought back to one of her favorite childhood musicals. She couldn't fathom where Julie Andrews managed to muster all that confidence from when she stood outside the Von Trapp family's house. She inhaled deeply and took a firm step forward.<p>

"I'm Heather Morris. I'm a dancer. And I'm going to get this job."

After getting lost a couple times, a friendly crew member finally directed her to Zach. When her old friend saw her, he immediately engulfed her in a big hug.

"Heather!" he exclaimed happily in her ear, she smiled brightly. "It's always great to see you…"

"Same to you… it's been a while."

"Yes, too long," Zach agreed tapping her nose and she scrunched her face at him. "Thank you again for doing this for me… I owe you one for all these little favors you do for me whenever I have a project. It always means a lot. But I've got to warn you… These kids need as much help as they can get. They really don't have much dance experience at all, and I know how patient you are with people."

Heather followed Zach as he directed her around set to where she was assuming she was going to be teaching a couple actors the Single Ladies dance.

"It's no problem at all. I'll do my best… If anything, I should be thanking you. Work has been hard to come by," Heather commented solemnly and Zach nodded in agreement.

"It has been particularly difficult finding jobs lately. I've been trying to help out as much of you kids as I can. But I know it's hard… just keep on trying and something will come up eventually," he winked at her knowingly. Heather smiled brightly in anxiousness. She hoped he was right.

The two walked between two trailers to a short Asian girl with a large smile and a young boy with neatly combed hair. He looked fresh out of high school. They both looked to Heather and measured her up. She tucked her bangs behind her ears nervously as she smiled to the two. When they smiled back kindly, Heather felt more at ease.

"Hey, guys! Heather here is going to teach you the Single Ladies dance. I wanted her to stop by here early and give you an introduction before we steal her away so she can teach the boys," Zach told the two actors.

The rosy cheeked boy extended his hand out first, "I'm Chris, it's nice to me you."

Heather shook his hand and smiled shyly, "Hi…"

"And I'm Jenna," the girl said politely and Heather shook her hand as well.

"Awesome. Well, Heather here really knows her stuff. She just got done with being a backup dancer on the Beyoncé Experience Tour, so treat her nicely…" Zach told the two pointedly.

Both Jenna and Chris raised their eyebrows in surprise at the tall blonde dancer in front of them.

"Wow, so you're legit…" Chris commented in awe and Heather giggled shyly in response.

"Alright, have fun you three. Try not to goof off too much. I'll be back in a few."

Zach then prodded off to attend to some of his other early morning business, leaving Heather to her teaching. Heather took a deep breath in and regained her professional composure. She loved teaching people so her instincts from small lessons she's taught before kicked in.

"So, you guys ready?" Heather asked brightly.

"As ready as we'll ever be, honey… With us, it's gonna be a long day…" Chris commented and Jenna giggled with a nod.

"Don't worry, by the time I'm done with you two you'll be experts," Heather told them confidently with smile. With that she began with the basics.

When Zach had told her they had little dance experience, he was not exaggerating… Jenna wasn't all too bad at all; she actually picked it up fairly well. It was Chris that took some extra back tracking and repeating of certain moves. But she couldn't help herself as she got captured in her task. It was her two favorite things combined… dancing and helping people. She was having the best time with the two actors who were surprisingly very laid back. She learned that this was both of their big breaks. Chris told her that he was fresh out of high school… literally. He told them all humorous stories of his not so glorious years of his "teenage delinquent classmates", he so appropriately put. While Jenna, on the other hand, had some experience. She had done little bits of stage work, but overall this was her first big production.

Heather found herself getting along quickly with them both, finding out their quirks and silly tendencies. Her and Jenna were always in a constant fit of giggles whenever Chris would say some sort of blunt offhand comment about a suggestive dance move. She fell in love with Chris's witty sense of humor and Jenna's caring kindness and infectious laughter. If this was only two members of the cast, she couldn't imagine how wonderful the rest were. She had no idea how accurate her thought were…

Heather laughed loudly.

"No, no… Chris it's turn, turn, hair, slide down, then smack the butt…" Heather explained with a giggle. Chris tried again, this time turning back to Heather with an exaggerated sexy face as he smacked his ass. Jenna and Heather burst into chuckles.

"Sure… just go with it…" Heather responded. "Okay next. You wanna dip, come up, turn away, then turn back, hands, then hip…"

She showed both Jenna and Chris what it should look like before breaking it down slowly for them. Both of them looked at her in disbelief.

"Oh come on guys, you can do this. It really isn't that hard."

"Okay, darling. You say that because you're a professional dancer. Jenna and I… not professional dancers…" Chris told her jokingly. "I don't understand how you women do this in heels…"

Heather laughed, she felt like she had been laughing all morning.

"It's okay we'll take it slow. From the beginning now."

She went through the moves slowly for Jenna and Chris, bending down slowly before moving into the next position. When she came back up her eyes landed on sun-kissed skin and luscious dark hair… A petite Latina strolled closer to them; her eyes covered by bug-eyed sunglasses and hands occupied with a thick script and bright pink highlighter. With the rather captivating Latina was a chubbier man with silly shades, mismatching socks, and a neon blue fanny pack. Distracted, Heather's foot caught momentarily behind her other heel and she faltered slightly.

"We're not supposed to do that are we?" Chris asked sarcastically. Jenna swatted his shoulder.

"Sorry… my bad…" Heather apologized with a blush.

The couple approached the three of them and the goofy looking man smiled to Heather.

"Hi! Are you Heather… Morris?" he asked with a friendly voice.

"Yeah, that's me," Heather replied softly. She couldn't help but peer over his shoulder at the tiny girl standing behind him. She wasn't paying attention as she chewed lightly on the cap of her highlighter while she ruffled through the many pages of her script.

"Mhm… thought so… Zach told me the tall blonde girl with legs for days. He could have made it a little more challenging."

Heather laughed brightly at the man's humor, her chuckles singing out lightly from her voice box. The small brunette looked up from her reading, captured by the sound. Her eyes rested easily on the tall, blonde named Heather Morris who smiled politely at their PA.

She lowered her sunglasses slightly on her nose to examine Zach's protégé. A smirk instantly graced her pouty lips. The brunette eyed the blonde, intrigued with her casual demeanor and gentle smile. Most of all she was captured by those eyes. They were a shockingly, pure crystal blue. She felt like she could swim for ages in those clear, hopeful pools of turquoise. Heather's eyes darted to the mysterious looking Latina distractedly. She felt weary of her unabashed staring.

"Did… Did you need something?" Heather finally said, directing herself back to the man named Telly. As she did so, the Latina raised her glasses up to rest on top of her head, revealing dark mocha orbs that glowed almost red in the morning sun. Heather swallowed thickly.

"Oh yes. Zach wanted you in the tinshed in five… boys will be in there soon for you to teach them the dance," he told her.

"Oh… we weren't quite finished yet," Heather commented, referring back to the two behind her who were sipping their water bottles.

Telly chuckled and looked to Jenna and Chris, "How's the dancing going?"

"You mean how's the workout going, right?" Chis corrected.

Heather blushed, "Sorry, I was probably going too fast."

She heard some type of heavenly laughter and Heather turned her head quickly to the sound. The Latina was watching her, amusement written on her face.

"Don't worry… it's probably not your fault. We all kinda suck at dancing right now," she said in a low husk that sent an unfamiliar shiver down Heather's spine.

"Yah, they never said dancing would be in the agenda," Jenna commented lightly.

"Or weird corsets…" Chris added.

"Not to mention the slushies…" Jenna shivered.

"Slushies?" Heather inquired.

"Oh yes… people like Naya here throw them in our faces," Chris told her bluntly, gesturing to the Latina who chuckled lowly.

_Naya…_ Heather repeated to herself mentally. She stared incredulously at the laughing brunette.

"Wait, are you serious?"

The question just brought the girl into a deeper fit of giggles. No one else was laughing at her, just the brunette. The other three simply raised their eyebrows, shaking their heads with amused looks. Heather was confused. She didn't think she was being funny.

Telly saw her worried expression.

"Don't worry honey, he's not being serious," he told her, then looked at Naya and rolled his eyes, "And ignore her… she has a weird sense of humor."

She hit his shoulder with her script in response and he coward slightly. Her lips still played that same smile.

"Whatever. You love it," she told him confidently.

Naya looked to Heather and their eyes locked for a moment. She smiled widely at her.

"You'll see what we're talking about eventually…" Telly told her. Then he added, "Hopefully before we air too. Hear you're rumored to be our third cheerleader."

Naya raised an inquisitive eyebrow. Again, the brunette's fiery, chestnut eyes traced the figure of Heather's body, soaking up every detail of her. She smiled approvingly, while Heather simply blushed under her gaze. She didn't know why, but Heather thought this girl was something else. She got this odd appealing vibe that attracted her to her… she was aching to know more. She blinked hard twice. She had to snap out of it. If she wanted this to go right, she had to be professional.

"Yeah… trying not to get my hopes up…" Heather replied modestly.

"Oh stop it. You've got a good word with Zach. That's definitely a plus," Jenna told her. Heather grinned at her appreciatively.

"Not to mention you're a freaking amazing dancer," Chris added. "You even managed to make me look slightly good. That's an accomplishment in its self."

Heather shrugged, even though her heart was hammering in anticipation. The more time she spent with these people the more she felt like she could easily fit in with them.

"You two were doing all the work. I just gave you the steps. I think you both will be great."

"You're too modest…" Naya said softly. The compliment came out of nowhere causing Heather to blush deeply. Jenna and Chris looked to each other knowingly, while Telly simply gaped at Naya never seeing his friend like this.

"Well, hopefully I'll get to stick around for a little while. But I'm just the help for the day," Heather told all of them, even though she looking at Naya. "I suppose I should go find Zach. Where did you say I needed to go?"

"Tinshed," Telly told her again. Heather furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"You guys do your choreography in a garage? I didn't think this show was that low budget…" Heather asked aloud. Naya laughed out again.

Heather really didn't know what she was saying that was so funny, but she must have been doing something right. Because the Latina's laughter sang out to her ears and it was certainly a lovely song to hear… Heather couldn't help, but smile widely. Just when Heather thought Naya couldn't surprise her any further she spoke out lowly to her.

"I like you…" Naya stated matter-of-factly as if they were elementary school kids who just met each other on the playground. It was like she had an innocent, young mind that didn't give a care in the world who her friends were, but just cared about the immediate appeal.

Heather couldn't help, but reply automatically as her heart did a weird fluttering in her chest, "I like you too…"

The Latina's smile grew ever wider at Heather's response, content with her reply.

As if wishfully hoping to herself, she says aloud, "Yeah, I really like this girl, Telly. I hope we get to see her around."

Tapping her chin, she eyed Heather up and down one last time before she hides those captivating eyes behind her glasses. She and Telly both walked away, their message delivered. Heather blushes furiously as she watches them go. Telly reaches out and tickles Naya's ear playfully. She swats his hand away and laughs loudly, the infectious vibrations reaching Heather's ears. Heather unknowingly smiles, a smile she hasn't shown in a really long time these days. Suddenly she can't help, but desperately hope that she will get to stay around if only to hear the Latina laugh again.

Chris and Jenna simply watch Heather, both with raised eyebrows.

"Ahem…" Chris cleared his voice capturing Heather's attention. She still had that ridiculous smile on her lips.

"Sorry?"

"You may wanna save that pretty smile for later. You've got tougher people to impress than her…" he told her knowingly. Heather simply looked back at him blankly, not really pinpointing exactly what he was referring to. She shook her head to get out of her stupid daze. She had to get serious.

Chris was right. She had bigger, more important people to see to. She inhaled sharply. After meeting Naya, Heather felt more determined than ever to take this role and run away with it.

* * *

><p>Heather had never worked so hard for anything in her entire life. To be accurate, she was literally working her ass off. Never could she remember of anything else that she wanted so badly. After her encounter with the luring Latina, she felt an empowering new vigor and purpose. It wasn't simply to get the job… yes that was important, but she wanted to push herself and be better than she ever was before. It was weird that the girl had such a strong effect on her… but she was appreciative of it, because she's never danced and taught better in her life.<p>

Sweat dripped from every pore of her body. When they said tinshed, they meant it literally. The room was like her dad's old toolshed. It was dank and small, not to mention steaming… The place really had no circulation at all; she wouldn't have been surprised if the facility broke several safety codes. However, Heather ignored the unbearable heat and focused on her task. She directed the group of very burley, masculine men. It was amusing to say the least to watch them do such a feminine dance. Apparently they were supposed to be on the football team and they were going to perform the Single Ladies dance at a game for some reason that was left unexplained to Heather. Most of them were easy to work with, majority being trained dancers. However, there were a couple that were difficult to work with… One particularly tall boy, with a puzzled looking brow basically had two left feet. She didn't think it was possible, but this kid proved her wrong…

Whenever she danced she always exuded a sense of confidence, but inside was very much the opposite. Her nerves had bubbled up considerably when she spotted a balding man, another with glasses, and a short pointed nose lady lurking by within the hour or so that Heather had to teach the dance. She presumed it was the people in charge… the people that would determine her future. Zach would occasionally shoot her a confident wink or a supportive smile, and it would calm her ever so slightly.

As Heather finished going step-by-step with about three quarters of the routine, Zach called a break.

"Everybody take five and we'll bring it back to finish the rest! And when I say five, I mean only five Cory…" Zach lectured to the abnormally tall actor who Heather had been having the most trouble with.

Zach walked over to Heather who took a generous swig of water from her bottle.

"You're doing great," he leaned and whispered in her ear. She screwed the cap back on and looked over her shoulder at the three colleagues discussing in the corner. Heather looked back at Zach.

"I can't tell. I'm not getting any signs from them…" she muttered nervously.

"Hey, trust me. Your dancing is impeccable, not to mention your teaching is by far exceeding mine…" Zach joked. "Don't worry about it too much. Those dogs are trained to remain emotionless…"

Heather smiled appreciatively to Zach before excusing herself to the ladies room. She winded her way around crew members and hallways and managed to get herself lost… yet again. Figuring it would be best to retrace her steps back and start again, she headed back towards the tinshed. Just before she got to the entrance she spotted Zach talking to the three people who were watching her. Quickly she hid behind a corner, still in hearing distance to be able to make out the words the four were conversing. She listened quietly.

"You only watched her for like five minutes… just give her a chance…" she heard Zach say pleadingly. She felt her heart immediately plummet to the ground at the tone of his voice.

"We told you Zach. We simply cannot hire her. We're on a strict budget, we can't afford to keep her throughout the episodes," the bald man said.

"I'm sure she wouldn't mind anything. She'll be an extra for all she cares. Just let her dance."

_God, thank the lord for Zach…_ Heather thought to herself. She _would_ take anything at this point. She would go and run stupid errands for the cast and do all the dirty work for all she cared. All she wanted was a chance.

"We know you obviously care about her, Zach… that is evident. But we were already interested in another girl," the man with the black framed glasses told him pointedly. Zach slumped and so did Heather. If she had any hope before it was instantly smashed in that moment.

"What? Who? Why didn't you tell me earlier before I told her that there was an opening?" Zach hissed in frustration and Heather winced at the unfamiliar tone.

"Calm down, Zach… It was decided this morning."

"And I spoke with you this morning…"

"Listen here," the woman finally spoke up crossly. Heather assumed it was the casting director or something, "We needed a third girl that would bring more diversity to the three cheerleaders. We already have Dianna and Naya. To be frank, Zach, she just looks too much like Dianna."

"She doesn't look a thing like, Dianna!" he defended. _Go, Zach, go! _Heather cheered mentally.

"Obviously… we know that. It's not what we meant. Her features are too similar to Dianna's. The blonde hair, fair skin… it won't do well on screen. The viewers may get them confused," the lady further explained.

"The viewer's aren't that stupid…" Zach mumbled with defeat.

"Well, we can't assume that. We just don't want anyone to get mixed up," the bald man tried to console. "Look. I like her. I think she is an impeccable dancer and she has a lovely personality… obviously she's talented. She fits the description of the technique and skills we were looking for Zach, but unfortunately we can't take the long term commitment."

Heather wanted to run in. She wanted to tell them she would take anything. She couldn't care less. She just wanted the job… _any_ job that could keep her in the business, just to give her a little hope that she could make a living out of what she loved. But then the short lady spoke up again.

"Besides that, again… her looks aren't T.V. appropriate."

Heather furrowed her eyebrows.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Zach read her thoughts.

"This is the entertainment industry, Zach. I'm going to be honest with you. Did you see the nose on that face?"

Heather's hand instinctively went to cover her nose. _Her nose wasn't that big was it? _She knew it had always been slightly larger in proportion to the rest of her face, but still…

"Not to mention those bangs…"

Heather ruffled at her hair, and blew up at her fringe in disappointment.

"And I'm sorry but her ass… well to put it nicely, it's pretty big for a girl her size."

Heather cringed. That one was particularly harsh. Zach looked at the lady in disbelief.

"Excuse me?"

"Zach, we're not trying to offend you," the bald man said as he leered at the lady for speaking her mind so freely. "But we all have to make sacrifices somewhere. She's a gifted kid. She'll find work elsewhere."

With that, the bald man patted his shoulder and the three departed from the tinshed back to more important things than silly, ugly blonde dancers… Heather sighed as that little fire in her was muffled out. She leaned her head against the side of the tinshed momentarily, feeling completely drained of all self-confidence.

_Fuck… pull yourself together, Morris. Remember? You promised you wouldn't be disappointed. It could have been worse. They could have said it to your face…_

She nodded to herself. Three critical, creators weren't going to get to her head. She knew better than that. Sure it was harsh, but hey… being a dancer she's gone through much worse criticism. After all, Heather knew what she was getting in to. She shook it off, standing up straighter. She was going to prove them wrong. Hell, she wasn't going to get the job, but she was sure to leave with a fucking bang.

_"Life will go on either way…"_

Ashley was right. Heather hated admitting that, but what her friend had told her this morning was true. Life will go on. A temporary bump in the road is never permanent. With that she headed back into the tinshed. When she entered, she swore she had never seen Zach so mad in her entire life. It was intimidating, but she knew she was on the better end of it.

"Hey…" she said softly.

Zach turned to her and his eyes saddened. He sighed deeply.

"Hey…" he said hesitantly. Heather could tell he was having difficulty breaking the news, so she saved him the trouble.

"It's okay…" she told him knowingly. Zach looked up to her apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Hemo," he told her, using her nickname.

"Don't worry about it. Hey, that's show business right?" she tried to joke weakly. His shoulders further slumped, reading her easily. Heather wasn't a hard one to figure out.

"You heard…"

"Yeah, well I guess my goodies were just too much for them to handle," she said shaking her hips. Zach chuckled lightly.

"I tried my best…"

"I know you did and I thank you for that. You've done more than I can ever ask for, Zach. Please don't be hard on yourself. I've had worse rejection before," she told him, giving him her award winning smile. He smiled back and slung an arm around her shoulder.

"Right… well you better promise me you will prove 'em wrong. After this I want you to keep dancing your little booty off and score the next job offered to you," Zach told her teasingly and Heather giggled, even though she knew wouldn't. She knew what she promised herself…

* * *

><p>Heather finishes teaching the Single Ladies dance, head held high and ass shaking like she's never shook it before. She wanted to give those fucking assholes a run for their money. They were missing out on an amazing opportunity. She managed to teach every single one of her pupils how to do the dance, including that oaf of a man with the two left feet.<p>

Feeling accomplished she gathered her things to leave when Zach called it a day. He turned to her one last time.

"Don't forget what I told you, Hemo. Never give up."

Heather smiled appreciatively to him. He always looked out for when she needed him most. He was a good guy and she knew he would always mean well. She was thankful for the opportunity. He promised her if he heard of anything else that came up, she would be the first one to know. She took his word for it. But Heather knew otherwise… she knew nothing more would come up. Zach was consumed in this new project. All the openings Heather knew of were probably filled. She had already come to terms with what she knew she had to do… she had to settle.

Heather embraced Zach in a final hug and waved him goodbye. She draped her hoodie jacket over her sweaty shoulders, her thin tank top clinging to her torso and midsection. As Heather walked out and looked up, her eyes fell on that familiar caramel skin, and dark raven hair. She couldn't help, but smile weakly.

Naya was walking cheerily in the direction of the tinshed and beamed brightly when she saw the beautiful, blonde from earlier. Heather spotted the sultry smile on the Latina's lips and if she hadn't completely melted before, she did just then. Naya eyed her up and down, her tongue darting out quickly to lick her lips. Heather swallowed uneasily.

"You would make one hot workout partner," she said openly. Heather was taken aback by her forwardness. She tried to keep up with the Latina the best she could.

"Yeah… too bad I don't need the gym to look this good," she joked light-heartedly. Naya laughed sweetly and it made Heather smile wider, nearly forgetting what had happened earlier.

"Leaving so soon? I was kinda hoping you were here to help our routine too," Naya asked. Heather noticed other female dancers and extras heading into the tinshed… She was immediately jealous of them and their roles.

"Yeah… Zach just needed me for the Single Ladies dance. Although I'm sure you would be perfectly fine without me," she had reassured without filtering a word she just said. She mentally slapped herself. Naya grinned, almost shyly.

"Hm… well, maybe next time?" she asked, looking up into her clear blue eyes hopefully. Heather couldn't help but get lost in those dark, espresso brown orbs… This girl was messing with her senses and better judgment.

"Naya!" a blonde haired girl with dazzling hazel eyes yelled out to her. "Stop flirting and come on!"

Heather couldn't help, but blush at the comment. Naya on the other head simply shook her head and smiled widely at Heather.

"I gotta go," she tells her regretfully.

"Yah, of course… It was lovely meeting you, Naya," her name rolled so easily off of Heather's tongue.

"Yeah… ditto," the Latina replied, slightly mesmerized by the blonde dancer. "I'll see you around!"

Naya runs off before Heather could say anything. She sighed deeply.

She whispered sadly to herself, "Yeah… if only…"

As Heather slung her bag over her shoulder and sulked off the lot she couldn't help, but feel a little down in the dumps. It never feels good to get rejected. She felt like this one was it for sure… Yeah, she may have slightly swayed by a certain brown-eyes beauty, but still. She couldn't help, but feel like this was the one that just slipped from her fingers. She had it… she had never danced better and she never so instantly clicked with coworkers like that so quickly.

The most important factor of not getting hired meant something so much more disheartening… She needed to find a job and she needed to settle down.

_Fuck…_ she thought. _I'm not getting any younger._

She had to take life a little more seriously. She couldn't be the reckless youth she was always taught to be; to pursue her dreams no matter the cost. This by far didn't mean it was the end, but she had to take a step back and grow up a little. Life throws curve balls at us every day… Heather just looked at this as another barrier in her journey that she had to leap over. On the other side, she'll eventually get to where she wants to be; whatever that was.

As she turns the corner down the street to make her way to the bus stop, she looks up to her right at small, place secretly squeezed in between two other more franchised shops. She didn't spot it before when she made her way to the studio… she must have been too nervous to realize. She cocked her head to the side as she peered up at the sign written in old carved out letters.

_Black Horse Café… _

The place looked old and vintage, like it had many stories to tell. A small smile spread to Heather's lips. Her eyes curiously wandered down the chipped black painting and the old wooden framed exterior that was trimmed in gold, mahogany read, and forest green. For some reason Heather felt drawn to the warmth exuding from it, although it may have been from the lovely scent of brewed coffee wafting through some of the open windows. As she looked to the door she saw a "WE ARE NOW HIRING" sign. Maybe it was there for reason… Without thinking, she decided to take this first opportunity as a welcoming beacon. It looked cozy and safe… most importantly it looked safe.

And safe is what Heather needed.

Heather opened the door and the bell overhead jingled warmly.

"Hi, you're hiring?"

**The story begins.**


	2. Part 1: Chapter 1

A/N: I wanted to thank everyone for the lovely reviews so far! I'm excited to hear from some new readers and I appreciate all those who have followed me over here from lj :), you're all so lovely! Anyways, for this chapter and here on out I make a lot of references to the song "Taylor, the Latte Boy," by Kristin Chenoweth. If you haven't listened to it before, check it out! It's pretty cute. Thanks so much for reading! Now the real story begins! Also thank you so much to my lovely beta fossil_10 :) Love ya babe!

Side Note: Also, if anyone has any recommendations on a name or physical traits for "Fake Brittany" as I have been calling her, aka, the other third cheerleader… please let me know! It's a little hard given it's impossible to imagine anyone but Heather playing the final piece of the Unholy Trinity!

Disclaimer: This fic is RPF! I do not own anything, this is a complete work of fiction. I DO NOT know either of these women nor am I affiliated with Glee or its creators. I also do not own the song "Taylor, The Latte Boy," by Kristin Chenoweth which this fic is loosely based on. These two are not a couple… unfortunately.

**The Latte Girl  
>Chapter 1<strong>

_One year later_

Heather starts her days early, even before the sun sheds light on L.A. county. She normally flips through the channels aimlessly while sipping a cup of freshly brewed coffee. She doesn't take too long with her morning routine, as a coffee shop can never open too early…

She hops on the first bus which only takes her to West Hollywood, so she unfortunately has to walk the rest. Thankfully the walk was only bad at night… you just had to play street smart. When Heather looks up at the old Black Horse Café, that familiar warmth spreads through her chest and she always smiles.

Home.

The place was a safe haven for Heather. It had rescued her in her most desperate moment of need. He boss, Reese, so kind and gentle had hired her on the spot. Not to mention, she practically lived there… She has picked up shifts left and right to the point where it becomes brutal. She needs the money… her rent is getting higher as it isn't the cheapest to live in the better spot of Los Angeles. But she rather work her ass off every day than live in a shit hole that wasn't safe… her mom wouldn't have that anyways and she would be forced to ship herself back over to Arizona.

She unlocked the door and prepared shop for the early rising customers. Heather is the Black Horse Café's best barista. Her regulars know her by name as she personally went out of her way to memorize most of their orders. She charms them with her wit and lovable personality. Her infectious smile, catching on to tired passersby. After all, she loves to make people happy and one of the best things about this job is just that. She gets to make people happy. Thankfully, she had always been a great morning person.

When she was first hired, she just took the job to get by. She promised herself that she would only do this for a few months before trying to dive back into the entertainment business. But with every cup of coffee brewed, she found that she loved it. There was actually some talent behind making the perfect espressos, coffee, tea, and pastries. Sure, someday she would love to make a name for herself with her dancing career, but right now… things didn't look too promising. She had to look at the brighter side of things. There were actually a lot of amazing aspects about her job... She loved pleasing people, she loved the smell of the freshly ground coffee in the early morning, she loved the simplistic home-style feeling to the building, and she loved her boss, her coworkers… she's come to find the little things the best part about it.

However, every job came with some negatives; she wasn't going to lie… She may not be making much, and there was the occasional creepy guy who sat next her on the last bus back home, and some of the grumpier in-a-hurry customers may not make her job the most ideal. But all in all she still has come to terms with what she has. Ultimately, she's grateful.

She'll take what she has. When the time is right, Heather knows dance will eventually come back in her life.

On the side, Ashley had somehow convinced her on to take up acting. She attends class with her roommate, but she hasn't really taken a liking to it to be honest. It was always hard for her to adapt to the teacher's style. Normally Heather would only last a couple days before she drops the class. However, she continues to write short films with Ashley, finding that it fills some sense of that lost creativity dance would give her. The two share a mind and it worked beautifully. They come up with sincere, humorous, and heartfelt short stories that always end happy… Heather wouldn't have them end any other way.

She opens the store and she closes the store every day. Every day except Tuesdays. She always makes sure she's home before eight, because that's when Glee is on… she knows she's a dork, but she couldn't help but fall in love with the show from the first episode. Sometimes, she gets a bitter taste on her tongue when she sees the third random cheerleader who gets a small line every now and then… It reminds her of what could have been and Ashley always gives her a loving pat on the knee while they watch the episodes.

Heather isn't surprised when Naya's role grows greater with every episode. The woman is so talented. Heather never saw her dance or act when she was on set, so she was surprised to say the least when she saw such a tiny girl give such a large performance. Her surmounting fame for some reason made Heather feel proud. She had no idea why.

Heather thinks of Glee, because today was Tuesday. It felt like any other Tuesday. Heather opened early at 5:30 in the morning, preparing herself for the 6-9AM "rush" as she has to man the station alone this morning. Thankfully the morning goes normal and the "rush" winds down around 10:00ish. Rush meaning three people max in the shop at a time, and normally they came in as the same party…

It was 10:17 exactly.

As Heather was steaming some fresh milk she hears the door jingle. She can't see all too clearly as the large machine she is working behind impairs her vision. She looks up on her tip toes once and greets the two customers with a small smile before she looks back down at the task at hand. Heather notes that one is a shorter girl and the other is a tall man. They aren't regulars as they look up at the chalkboard style menu overhead, contemplating what to order. Then she hears her voice. It makes her stop the steamer all together and her eyes go wide.

"I can't believe how fucking long the line at Starbucks was… seriously, it's ten o'clock in the morning already… shouldn't everyone be at work?"

"Maybe they're like you and overslept this morning."

Heather freezes and swallows thickly, as she leans a little to her right to get a better view at her customers. She peers up through her bangs at the small brunette she had memorized so well.

There she was. Just as she remembered her the last time she saw her…

Naya Rivera was in her coffee shop… ordering her coffee… and she looked as radiant as ever. Heather's brain buzzed in disbelief. It must be a dream.

Heather looked back over to the Latina. She looked the same, just as beautiful. Maybe a little more tired than she remembered. She had noticeable bags under her eyes that didn't come with age and her brown orbs lost a little of that fiery glow she had been so captured by. But, she was the same and Heather smiled at the fact that she hadn't changed much. Behind her, Heather instantly recognized the mohawked douchebag in the show, Mark Salling. She knew the man had a bad reputation from all the tabloids. She also knew that the two were reportedly dating…

Heather chewed on her lip as she watched Naya tap her chin like she did when they first met. Heather looked around her suddenly realizing that she was working in a run-down coffee shop when before she was a dancer for Beyoncé. She didn't want Naya to see her like this. To recognize her and see that she was a nothing when she was a… something. She wanted to hide. Embarrassed, she pulled her bangs forward in attempt to shield her face. What was she thinking? It was impossible to disguise herself. She took a deep breath, huffing up slightly at her thick bangs and looking down the whole time.

"Hi, how can I help you?"

"Um… what do you recommend?" Naya husked out to her with a scratchy early morning voice. Heather couldn't help, but admit that it sounded kinda sexy.

"Well… it depends on what you're looking for…" Heather spoke softly, still looking down and squeezing the sharpie in her hand. Her voice caught Naya's attention as she finally looked away from the menu and down at the blonde girl in front of her. Her lips curved slightly in a small smile and Heather felt like she had been caught.

More politely, Naya spoke to her, "I'm really in need of a pick me up… long night last night…"

"Hell yah it was…"

"Shut up, Mark," she bit back to him harshly. Heather nodded, understanding what she was implying.

"Of course. We have a large selection of espresso drinks… a favorite of the house is our organic fair trade chocolate mochas… white, tuxedo, dark chocolate… you name it. We have classic cappuccinos. Our lattes are pretty amazing too… uh…" Heather started listing off her fingers. Naya simply smiled at how adorable she looked fumbling over herself.

"What's your favorite?" she whispered in a sultry voice.

Heather looked up slightly, allowing blue eyes to connect with those mystifying brown. Naya's gaze swam deeply into those ocean like pools and she suddenly felt an oddly strong sense of déjà vu.

"Caramel latte… with extra caramel and whipped cream. We make our caramel here from scratch with caramelized sugar," Heather said with a blush. "I like to start my mornings super healthy as you can tell…" she added with a small smile.

Naya chuckled whole-heartedly, which made Heather's heart soar higher.

"Sounds perfect, can you make it a double grande please?" Heather nodded, grabbing the appropriate cup.

"Lattes are my favorite too… but maybe cut the extra caramel and whipped cream," she said, eyes brightening up considerably.

"Yah, of course… name for the cup?" Heather asked shyly. The question made Naya cock her head to the side and for some odd reason her smile grew wider. Maybe it was because for once a normal person like a coffee house bartender was treating her like any other customer and wasn't fangirling over her.

"Naya…" she told her softly. Heather looked up quickly before messily scribbling her name down on the paper cup.

"Thank you, Naya. Can I do anything else for you?" Heather asked, her tongue lingering a little longer on her name than it should have.

"No that's it."

"That'll be $2.55," Heather rung her up.

"That's it? For a grande double latte?" Naya handed her a five.

Heather simply nodded, counting out her change.

"Starbucks is so fucking overpriced," Mark noted.

Before Heather could give Naya back her change the Latina said, "Keep the change."

"But… it's almost three dollars' worth of change…" Heather said, holding the money out like an idiot. Naya shrugged.

"Just a generous tip, hon… not gonna get you fired…" Naya smirked.

There was one thing Heather didn't like, and that was people feeling sorry for her and giving her free money. She was a big girl and she could fend for herself. She didn't need anyone's help.

"Thanks…" she simply murmured, "but I don't need your charity."

Naya frowned. "Well, I was impressed with your service."

"But I don't want—"

"Look kid, just keep the change. She won't take it back…" Mark butted in. Heather slowly retracted her arms and tossed the money wearily into a nearly empty tip jar. Naya smiled, pleased.

Heather looked back to Mark and she caught him staring at the opened buttons at the top of her blouse, exposing a little of her cleavage. She grimaced and pulled at her shirt. She felt creeping, shivers crawl over her skin and she shifted uncomfortably as he so blatantly checked her out in front of his rumored girlfriend. What kind of guy would be checking out someone like Heather when you had Naya Rivera standing right next to you? Heather's sympathy instantly went out to the Latina.

"What can I get for you?" Heather asked, a slight bitter tone in her voice.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" Naya interrupted as Mark tried to recite his order from the menu. Heather's eyes bounced from Mark to Naya.

"Uh… I… No… No, I don't think so," she stuttered nervously, trying her hardest to focus on Mark's order.

"I'll just get whatever your strongest, signature blend is," he told her smoothly.

"Great… size?"

"Venti."

Heather nodded.

"Name please?"

"What did you say you're name was?" Naya asked still looking at the blonde curiously.

"I-I didn't…"

"Just ignore her… and it's Mark."

Heather nodded, writing the name quickly on the cup. She took his credit card and swiped it.

"Are you sure we haven't met before?"

"No… pretty sure we haven't," Heather replied back quickly, handing back Mark's card and receipt while turning to prepare both of their drinks. She moved diligently behind the counter and Naya followed her with interest while Mark texted someone on his phone.

"I swear you look so familiar…" Naya continued to chase the poor girl down. Heather filled Mark's coffee cup first, placing the lid on before she started the espresso machine.

"I guess I just have one of those faces… you're probably confusing me with someone else…"

Naya pursed her lips in thought, smirking knowingly at the girl.

"Have we worked together before?" she asked, lightly. Heather turned around quickly so she couldn't see the lie in her eyes. Heather isn't going to lie, because she's a _horrible_ liar. Hence, why she struggles so much with acting. One look in her eyes and she's a goner.

"Don't think so…" Heather squeaked quietly in reply.

"Hm…" Naya slumped, but then she raised a hopeful eyebrow. "Maybe at a bar once before?"

Heather shook her head frantically, "I don't get out much…"

Naya frowned at this.

"The gym down on Franklin? I used to go there for a long time."

"Never had a gym membership… sorry."

As Heather added the two shots of espresso in Naya's cup, she discreetly flipped the lever and added a third remembering how she said she had a long night. Naya, examining the coffee girl closely, noticed and smiled widely at the kind gesture. She thought it adorable how the girl tried to do it so sneakily.

"I really do think you're mixing me up with someone else… if we had met before I'm sure I would remember you," Heather stated as she finished adding the milk, caramel, and light whipped cream to Naya's coffee. She lidded it carefully and proffered both drinks on the bar.

"Your coffee is ready…" Heather said softly and she couldn't help but let her eyes lock with Naya's. She was suddenly afraid that Naya would be able to sort her all out, but she couldn't take her eyes away. She let herself smile shyly at Naya as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

Mark swooped behind Naya and grabbed his coffee. He looked at her noticing the daze in her eyes.

"Come on, Nay… we're already late." He began to walk to the door.

"God… I swear I know you…" Naya concluded in a whisper.

Heather fiddled with the edge of her apron in anxiousness as Naya continued to stare her down. She knew Naya was trying to match her face and Heather could almost hear the wheels in her head clicking.

"Naya! Let's go! I really rather not get another lecture from Ryan today," Mark shouted.

"You should probably head out," Heather said, taking Naya's cup and handing it to her. When they made the exchange, Naya's fingertips grazed ever so slightly against Heather's knuckles. Tingly, vibrations were sent crawling up her skin, making the fine hair on her arms stand on edge. Heather shivered by the light touch.

Naya studied her one last time.

"Yeah… thanks again," she said turning slightly to head towards the door.

"It's my pleasure," Heather said politely. "It was lovely meeting you, Naya."

The words made Naya's ears perk up from a cloudy, distant memory. She looked back at Heather curiously, eyebrows furrowing in wonder as she smiled towards this mysterious, blonde latte girl.

"Yeah… ditto…" Naya found her saying automatically, unable to tear her eyes off Heather's sharp blue ones. She reluctantly walked to the door, before she exited she turned back to the blonde.

"I'll see you around," Naya stated as if she were confident it was going to happen and before Heather could say anything back, she was gone. It felt like a dream. Like she wasn't even really there. She knew she had to wake up now any minute.

Heather blinked hard twice…

She still stood alone, in her empty familiar coffee place. She sighed deeply. Heather felt like the Latina was constantly doing this to her… running in and out of her life like it was some kind of twisted game of tag. Heather was unsure of how she felt about the whole situation as old emotions began to resurface.

She twisted her apron in her hands with a vice grip.

"Yeah… see you around…" Heather whispered quietly to no one.

* * *

><p>Heather came home from her long day at work and she rushed to the couch. She was about five minutes late in the new Glee episode which was just coming back from its midseason hiatus. To say the least, she was excited as she put her little Gleek cap on. She blunders through the door and falls onto the couch, with Ashley yelling at her.<p>

"Hurry the fuck up! It already started!"

"I'm here! I'm here!" she said while falling on the couch. She looked up at their TV to see Schuester and Emma talking. "What did I miss?"

"Hush! Matt Morrison is on the screen! Wait till commercial!"

Heather giggled at Ashley's odd obsession with the actor and pulled her eyes back to the screen. Will was saying some cheesy line to Emma about asking her out on a date, Heather simply toned it out. Not that she doesn't like Will and Emma; she was just more interested in the kid's storylines.

Ashley was the opposite as she audibly swooned, "God Will Schuester! Take me out on a date!"

Heather simply shook her head and rolled her eyes. Her smile instantly faltered as the scene jumped. Her lips quirked shyly and she had to look down for a moment because of her blush. She couldn't help but divert her eyes directly to the one particular Cheerio that walked into her coffee shop that morning. She was reminded of earlier that day.

"During commercial I also have some interesting news to tell you… Glee related…" Heather announced to Ashley quietly. The brunette turned and looked to her briefly, eyebrow arched in curiosity.

The scene continued and Heather finds herself studying the Latina, seeking out what made her so intriguing. Sure she would admit it: Naya Rivera is one hot piece of ass. So what? Heather thought she was attractive, but the Latina's beautiful features didn't explain her undying need to be figure out those mocha orbs. Most certainly, it didn't mean she was interested in Naya in that way at all… She had to be realistic with herself. Heather probably would never even see her again. Even if she couldn't do anything about it, the attraction was achingly evident. Heather couldn't deny it. Her mom would lecture her otherwise, but Heather always looked at people as people. She thought everyone was beautiful…

Heather didn't realize that the first song of the episode started until she saw Naya doing some very suggestive moves with those pom poms… Heather studied the Latina, pursing her lips and cocking her head to the side. She didn't know why but after this morning and now watching the episode, everything felt backwards… as if this morning in the coffee shop had been made up in her head. She always did have a very vivid imagination.

When the number ended, Heather watched as Naya threaded her arm with the other cheerleader. The third cheerio's role was minimal… Although, Heather had to admit that her dancing was noteworthy. She definitely could tumble and do handsprings much better than Heather could ever imagine doing. Still, everyone knew the stronger half of the duo was Santana. She was head bitch after all. The character's forwardness and drive, not to mention humor, made her one of Heather's favorites. The two ask Finn out on a date and the tall boy with two left feet looks like an idiot.

"Why do they make his character so dumb?" Ashley asked aloud.

"I think it makes him sincere."

"You and every other tween in America…" Heather laughed. "And is it just me or does your gaydar go off when you see Santana? I swear the way she looks at Quinn and the other mute, minion cheerleader… I get serious vibes from her. I mean she at least has to be bi."

Heather's cheeks redden, "Uh… I mean… I dunno…. Do you mean the actress or the character?"

Ashley turns to her and says as if it's obvious, "The character…"

"Right… yah of course…" Heather states, flushed.

"You okay?" Ashley asks slightly amused by Heather's fluster.

"Mhm…"

The screen breaks to commercial and Ashley pivots on the couch to face Heather. Lying in her lap is a large box of Double Stuffed Oreo cookies. She takes one out, twisting off one end and licked at the white, sugary marshmallow middle. Leave it to Ashley to eat the most unhealthy products known to man.

"So, how was your day Miss Morris?" she asks, gorging the cookie. Heather tries to take one, but Ashley bats her hand away protectively. Heather simply shakes her head knowingly and rolls her eyes at the girl.

"Actually… something pretty exciting happened…" Heather started shyly. She can never keep anything from Ashley, they're best friends.

"Oh yah! You said you wanted to tell me something! Spill! Oh my God, did that hot newspaper coffee boy ask you out?"

Heather furrowed her eyebrows and grimaced, "Ew no… he's gross, Ash. He looks like he's forty."

"Whatever… last time I was there he was totally eyeing you… I thought he was cute."

"Yeah… just how you think Matthew Morrison is cute?"

"He is!" she defends.

Heather rolls her eyes, "Yeah… I know. I forget you have weird taste…"

"Okay, let's not get into this because if you push this Morrison lovin' machine I will ruin your face," Heather burst into laughter, but her comedic friend always knows how to keep a straight face. "Get on with the story."

Heather takes a deep breath in, "Well… This morning someone you would not believe came in to get coffee."

"Wait, you mean like someone famous?"

"Yah. Duh," Heather said lamely.

"Who?" Ashley proclaims. Heather nods her head towards the TV to give her a hint, eyes bugging and a large smile tugging at her lips. Ashley looks to the screen and furrows her eyebrows.

"Sam Worthington?" she questions as a Clash Of The Titans trailer flashes on TV.

"What? No, no… two people from Glee!"

"Oh my God…. If you say Matt Morrison, I will die!"

Heather chuckled and rolled her eyes, "No… it wasn't Matt…"

Heather paused as she fiddled with end of her skinny jeans.

"It was Naya… and Mark," she added quickly at the end.

"Oh…. I see…" Ashley said, a smirk gracing her lips. "Like for real, for real?"

"Yes… Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I'm just clarifying to make sure you weren't day dreaming or something."

"What are you trying to get at?" Heather sighed.

"Oh, I dunno… I mean, this is the same Naya Rivera you wouldn't shut up about after you helped out on set? The same Naya Rivera who plays Santana Lopez, one of your top three favorite characters on Glee?"

"I did not talk about her that much…" Heather mumbled.

"Honey, come on… let's be honest here…" Ashley said as she looked up at her knowingly.

"I thought she was just… different… I don't know..." she defends.

"And?"

"And what?"

Ashley sighs, "Did your latest encounter tame your curiosity?"

"I mean… she didn't really talk to me that much… she just ordered her coffee and left."

"She didn't recognize you?"

Heather, not knowing why, lies to Ashley.

"No…"

Well, it wasn't entirely untrue. She never guessed her name…

Ashley looks to her sadly. "Oh hon… it's okay… It's her loss ya know?"

"It's not a big deal, Ash," Heather tries to smile, but it's a weak one, "I mean why would she recognize me? I'm nobody…"

"Heather…" Ashley tries to contradict, but Heather waves it off.

"And besides, it's not like I was hooked up on her on anything. How could I be? I barely even talked to her when I was on set. I simply look to her as a fan now. I really do admire her work. That's all," Heather tries to convince both herself and Ashley who was glaring at her. "Plus, she's totally straight."

"How can you be so sure, Heather? I mean… by the way it sounded when you were telling me about the first time you met her… she was totally flirting—"

"She was with the guy who plays Puck when she came in this morning, Ash. And she had, I quote, 'a long night' last night…" Heather pointed out.

"You know, assuming things never turns out well for you…" Ashley rebuttals.

"Well, this time I'm right. It's okay, I'm over it…" Ashley gives her that 'I know you're lying look', "Honest, I swear. Why regret something that can never be?"

Ashley opened her mouth to speak again when the phone rang. She sighed and pats Heather's calf one last time. She reaches behind her and picks up the phone.

"Yellow?"

Heather could hear some faint chatter on the line and then sees Ashley scoff and roll her eyes at the other person on the phone. Her roommate was obviously disgruntled. They had been getting pretty weird calls lately. Unless it was…

"I'm doing great, _buddy_," she retorts and Heather eyes her curiously.

"You know, she's actually kinda busy right now… I think you should call back later…"

Heather furrows her eyebrows and leans forward to listen while Ashley leans back away.

"Ashley…" she hisses dangerously.

"Okay, I get that you're like halfway across the country or whatever, but you very well know that Tuesdays are our Glee nights and I barely get to see her these days cause she fucking works like 20 hours a day!" Ashley begins to rant.

Heather pieces it together and lunges at her roommate, tackling her for the phone. Ashley is smirking and laughing at Heather as she tried to grab at it. Ashley attempted to dodge her very agile roommate while protecting her precious Oreos from getting smashed.

"Taylor, if you wanna talk to her so bad I think you should just—"

Ashley was cut short, when Heather pried the phone away from her fingers.

"Hello? Hello? Taylor?" Heather spoke into the phone breathlessly as she sat back upright, brushing her hair out of her face.

Heather hears his low chuckle rumble through the phone, "_Hey, babe…"_

"Hi…" Heather says shyly, a grin gracing her lips. Ashley just rolls her eyes.

Ashley yells out, "This war is so not over, Hubbell!"

Heather covers the mouthpiece and glares daggers over at Ashley, who just shrugs and looks back over to the Cottonell commercial being played.

Heather heard more laughter on the other line, _"She still doesn't like me much, does she?"_

"Ignore her… she's just being nosey," she said, continuing to glare at Ashley.

Ashley sticks her tongue out at her and Heather responds the same.

"Isn't it kinda late over there? Don't you have class and practice tomorrow?"

_"Yeah, but I wanted to say goodnight to my number one favorite girl on the west coast. Gotta keep up with tradition," _Taylor replied lovingly.

"That's sweet…" Heather tells him. Ashley makes a gagging noise and Heather swats at her arm.

"You have a big game this Friday right?"

_"Yup. You remembered?" _

"Of course I remembered."

_"Mmm… why do I always forget how amazing you are?"_

Heather frowned slightly, "Probably because we don't get to see each other very often."

"_Yeah… I know… I miss ya kid. But that's why we gotta keep up with these calls. Not ready to lose you quite yet."_

Heather's smile returns, brightened, "Yeah? Me neither."

"Okay, it's back on. Either take you're sappy call up stairs to finish your phone sex or hang up so we can finish the rest of the episode!" Ashley nearly shouts so Taylor can hear it too.

"You are so disgusting…" Heather murmurs to her. Taylor chuckles.

_"Yeah… tell her she's putting dirty ideas in my head…" _

"Oh no… you're turning back into an immature little boy again. I was liking all your sweet talk," Heather jokes. Taylor laughs loudly.

_"Hey! Totally not my fault… blame your roommate!"_

Heather laughs into the phone until she hears someone else calling faintly to Taylor. Her laughter quickly dies.

_"Hey babe… who are you talking to this late?"_

Heather's heart clenches, then it breaks when Taylor answers back to the feminine voice.

_"Uh… no one. Go back to sleep, I'll be back in a second."_

_ "Hurry over so we can continue where we left off…"_ the voice said with an annoying mischievous giggle. Heather felt like she was sick. She remained silent, words lost in her throat. Or maybe they were stuck behind the bile she was starting to taste in her mouth.

_"Um… Heather?" _Taylor finally spoke back up after a few seconds of silence.

"Still here…" she whispers weakly and Taylor sighs. "Who is she this time?"

_"Uh… Kelly? Or maybe Katie…" _Taylor falters. _"They don't matter, Hemo…"_

"You do realize it's a Tuesday night? Whatever… You can be with whoever you wanna be with. I understand."

_"I know… you're upset…"_

"No I'm not," Heather replied quickly as if trying to make him feel some sort of pain, because hell… he made her feel like shit.

_"Of course not. Because we said whoever we're with shouldn't affect how the other feels."_

"Exactly."

Another moment of awkward silence passed between them for a few long seconds.

_"Heather?" _

"Yes?"

_"You're still my number one girl. Remember that. Best friends first?" _he asks and Heather could tell he was still trying to hold on to her, however desperately. She caves… just like every time.

"Yeah… of course. Best friends, Tay…" Heather says solemnly.

Heather could hear the smile and relief in his voice, _"I can always rely on you to understand me Heather… You really are the best…"_

Heather sighs, "Yeah, I'm always here… But, I should probably go. And you should get back to your… business."

_"Yah… right. Miss you, Hemo."_

"Miss you too. I'll talk to you soon. Good luck at your game… tell me how it goes later in the week okay?"

_"Of course. Bye."_

"Bye…" Heather mumbled as she hung up the phone. She fiddled with the item in her hand for a few minutes not noticing the episode at all now really.

She looked to her left over at Ashley who was watching the screen and eating her cookies in silence, but Heather knew she had been listening. Ashley never needed to ask, she already knew mostly how Heather felt when it came to her and Taylor's undefined yet defined relationship. The two were always on for one moment then off the next… It was very much the whole "Rachel and Ross" situation. It was cheesy, but they met over the internet. Taylor messaged her because he saw her at a mutual friend's birthday party when he and Heather both still lived in Arizona. The bubbly blonde pulled Taylor out of his shell when he refused to dance because he thought he was horrible. Heather of course got him to dance with her anyways, after a few shots that is. Taylor instantly fell head over heels for the blonde. They were together ever since. But when Heather decided to move to L.A. and Taylor decided to go to a different LA that was across the country, things became more difficult.

At first it was okay. They were dealing with the long distance relationship adequately. It was just a lot of phone calls… which with that there came a lot of phone sex and Heather quickly soon found she resented it. Everything felt okay, they were getting by. It wasn't until Taylor became starting pitcher in the middle of his sophomore year at Louisiana when the team's current one got injured. After his first couple games he won, he became a sensation for the team and the school. Heather was proud and played the best supportive girlfriend Taylor could ever ask for.

But then the major league teams started to look at him and it really started to get to his head. Then came the big parties… and then the girls. Suddenly it always felt like there were more arguments and more misunderstandings. The two simply couldn't do it anymore; mainly Taylor couldn't do it anymore.

He was always pestering her about the future and their relationship, but all Heather wanted to worry about was the 'now'. All she cared about was how she felt for him at that moment. She loved him. So when he decided that they should take a break until they found a time where they can better match up their lives, she was devastated and heartbroken. He told her that she was still his best friend and that he cared about her so very much.

He tells her every night, _"You're still my number one girl, Hemo."_

And she was. She always stood by him. Patiently waiting… for something she was not entirely sure of.

If things were different they would still be together. So he calls her pretty much every night, just like this night. It makes her cling on to him, hoping that eventually they will be together… she knows she shouldn't. She's stronger than that, but he was the first person she's completely fallen in love with. That kinda first is hard to get over…

The thoughts reeling in Heather's head caused her to lean over and snuggle into Ashley's already open arm. She curled up against her friend, Ashley kissing the top of her head like her mother would.

She doesn't say much except, "You deserve so much better than him, you know that Hemo?"

Heather let out a shaky sigh as the camera panned over to Santana after the Gives You Hell number. She had her signature cocky grin on her lips and her dark eyes pierced through the screen. Heather chewed on her lip, thinking quietly to herself.

"Yeah… I know…"


	3. Part 1: Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you everyone so far who has commented and read so far... I can't believe it's been already 40 reviews with only the prologue and first chapter, I'm amazed. I thank you for the welcoming response. Also, "Fake Brittany" is revealed in this chapter... thank you for everyone for your suggestions, they were very helpful. I was completely torn when I made my decision, but I think I could intertwine the idea well with a certain song that Santana sings ;) Thank you for soulsaidin for the suggestion!

Let me clarify before anyone freaks out, Heya WILL be endgame in this story. That is all.

Thanks to my beta fossil_10! Enjoy the read!

Disclaimer: This fic is RPF! I do not own anything, this is a complete work of fiction. I DO NOT know either of these women nor am I affiliated with Glee or its creators. I also do not own the song "Taylor, The Latte Boy," by Kristin Chenoweth which this fic is loosely based on. These two are not a couple… unfortunately.

**The Latte Girl  
>Chapter 2<strong>

Last night was a tough one… After the Glee episode, Heather was completely mentally exhausted. Ashley felt so bad for her roommate that she even offered her one of her Oreos. Heather had never been more confused in her entire life. She was such a ball of emotions that she didn't know what to do with herself. Everything with Taylor made her want to throw her covers over her head and hibernate forever… These frequent calls just made her miss him more and pine for something that seemed they could never figure out.

On the other hand, her unexpected reunion with Naya seemed to make her insides twirl around in excitement. Thoughts of the Latina drifted vividly through her mind as she desperately tried to interpret the situation she was in with the star. She didn't know if she wanted to her to come in every morning or never see her again. The girl was doing strange, unidentifiable things with her mind and with her heart… The whole situation kept Heather conscious the entire night.

So when she woke up this morning, she was that jittery mess college people normally get when they had been studying all night for final exams. Her hands were shaky from too much caffeine and the little sustenance in her tummy. However, she had been preparing herself for an entirely different exam. That test was Naya Rivera… However, one side of Heather still hoped her proctor would show up for another latte, while the other side thought that the Latina would simply forget about her. Heather assumed the latter would be the most likely scenario… who would care to remember some plain-Jane, coffee hostess?

She opened up shop like any typical morning, trying her hardest not to expect anything. She was surprised, however, to find when she came to open the door to the Black Horse Café that there were a few anxious customers waiting outside. A little frazzled, and obviously jumpy, Heather rushed to tend to the early morning risers.

Luckily, one of her coworkers helped her with the rush hour shift at seven. Kaitlyn had been working with Heather at the Black Horse Café since she was first hired. The younger, vibrant woman taught Heather the ropes of being a coffee barista. She certainly had learned from the best. They of course had their differences… one being that Kaitlyn never acquired the patience that Heather always carried. If you pissed her off, it was not a pretty sight. The girl had short auburn-hair with crisp cut bangs and a sharp wit that would always catch Heather off-guard. Her pale, porcelain skin was graced with a few ornate tattoos here and there, representing the rebelliousness and artistic statement she embodied.

Heather admired the firecracker of the young girl. She was a couple years younger than her, with more determination and spirit that Heather could ever wish for. Even with her youth, she still managed to hold a slightly more mature demeanor than Heather… Heather always exuded a childlike hopefulness. Kaitlyn was a struggling college student, taking night classes to get her degree in anthropology or something odd like that… The temperamental brunette tried to explain it once to Heather, but the blonde just got lost. She was bright and intelligent and Heather respected the girl greatly. She was fun to work with and Heather loved her company… except in the mornings… Unlike Heather, Kaitlyn was a horrible morning person. She would snap at the customers left and right, so Heather decided it was best that she take the register whenever they had early shifts together.

The morning carried on; however, it seemed typically more busy than usual. The coffee shop got enough revenue to get by, but they weren't by all means the biggest hot spot. It was one of those secret treasures that made Heather love it all the more.

Yet today, Heather immersed herself with the coffee grounds and espresso machines as people quickly came in and out. The door was constantly jingling and the line growing considerably. It was 8:11 this time. She was at the counter and it happens again. Heather didn't even see it coming. She was so absorbed in her work that she had to even take a step back to make sure this time it was real. She looks up from her task and sees Naya standing in line with her shades on, smirking quietly. Heather's eyes go wide as she notices the smiling actress. She begins to panic and turns to her coworker.

"Pst!" Heather hisses and Kaitlyn looks to her, eyebrows furrowed.

"What?" she all but grunts grumpily.

"Take the counter!" Heather whispers frantically.

"Huh? Why?"

"Just… Just switch spots with me!" Kaitlyn looks to Heather confused and then looks to the line and spots Naya. Her eyes widen too at the familiar face she sees on commercials constantly promoting Heather's favorite show. She shakes her head, amber hair bobbing nervously as she did not want to deal with a celebrity at this early hour.

"Nuh uh! No way I am dealing with that this morning!"

"Kaitlyn!" Heather hisses. She barely even registers what's happening until she hears that familiar voice. The world seems to freeze. And for a moment, she looks around and it actually seems like it does. Everyone's eyes were set on the person in front of her, her coworker included.

"Good morning," Naya's voice rumbles out to Heather's ears. Heather's eyes shoot up from the cash register to meet those brown orbs and familiar smirk.

Heather could hear a couple behind Naya whispering, _"It's Santana from Glee!"_

"Hi," Heather manages out, slightly mystified. She blinks her eyes twice and remembers her job. She clears her throat.

"How are you?" Heather asks kindly with a smile.

Naya's eyes brighten, completely focused on Heather as she answers, "I'm well. And yourself?"

"Fine, but had a long night…" Heather mimicked Naya from yesterday with a smile, even though Heather was being honest. Naya chuckled.

"Yeah… sorry if I was a bitch or anything yesterday."

"No not at all. Besides, customers always come first," Heather replied professionally. She swallowed as she capped and uncapped her sharpie nervously while Naya eyed her again. "So, what can I get for you this morning?"

"A double caramel latte please. Medium," she tells Heather taking out her wallet. Heather eyes her as she takes out her money. She quickly picks up the appropriate cup.

"Name please?" she says and it makes Naya look up at her with a wide smile.

"Naya," she answers in a light chuckle, as the blonde had already started writing her name down before Naya had even said it. Naya shakes her head knowingly. Heather's heart was soaring at the sound of the Latina's familiar laughter.

"That'll be $2.55…" Heather reports. When Naya hands Heather a five, Heather is reluctant to take it. "You're going to take you're change this time, right?"

Naya looks over to Heather's coworker who is eyeing them while she makes a drink. She squints at Naya while pouring skim milk wearily into the cup. Naya smiles back at Heather.

"Yeah… don't worry, I won't make you suffer with my flattery again," Naya husks. Heather could only nod while she shudders at her tone.

"Uh huh… It'll be right out."

"Thank you," Naya replies kindly. Heather whisks away quickly and yanks Kaitlyn to work the register while she prepares Naya's drink. Heather glares angrily at Kaitlyn who sends her the same accusing glance before the two get back to work. Naya followed her Latte Girl's movements again.

"So you avoided my question yesterday," Naya called out to her teasingly. Heather froze and her hands were becoming shaky; this time it wasn't from the lack of sleep or from the over-caffeinated condition she was in. She felt like she was caught in her lie. She hated how everyone was watching them like this was some sort of show. She hated it more that Naya seemed unfazed by the attention.

"Um… come again?" Heather squeaked as she lifted the lever to make her latte.

"You never told me your name."

Heather's voice caught in her throat.

"So… what's your name? As I see you have no name tag," Naya said lightly, staring at the swell of Heather's chest unabashedly. Heather looked down and pulled at her button up blouse slightly. She needed to start wearing more appropriate shirts to work… Naya smirked. Employees were never required to wear name tags, it never occurred to Heather until now.

"Um…" Heather couldn't tell Naya her real name. Then she knew she would for sure be able to piece everything together… The actress wasn't stupid. Heather finished Naya's latte, adding extra foam to her cup. Naya smiled again at her generosity, curious on how she even knew she liked extra foam. She never mentioned it before.

"Um?" Naya chuckled. "Or would you rather me continue to refer to you as the Latte Girl… that's what I've been telling all my friends."

Heather looked up at her as she lidded her cup. She talked about Heather to her friends? She couldn't really believe it… She must have heard her wrong.

"I wouldn't mind it… I think keeping things anonymous is safe…" Heather reasoned to Naya as she held her latte out to her. Naya rolled her eyes and smiled.

She slipped the cup from Heather with her left hand, but before Heather could retract away Naya clasped it in a firm handshake with her right. The contact of the Latina's skin on hers was making her senses go into overdrive. Heather stared at their clasped hands.

"Why don't we start this over again the proper, formal way hm?" Naya asked with a mischievous grin.

"My name is Naya Rivera," she said, brown eyes gazing into Heather's piercing blue ones. "It's nice to meet you."

Heather's mouth went dry as she dumbly continued to shake Naya's hand.

"Hey," was all she could answer back softly. Naya laughed loudly, her full gorgeous laugh and Heather couldn't help but smile.

"Wow, you really don't get the whole 'properly meeting' someone aspect, do you?" her smile was so large it took up her entire flawless face, making those cheeks apple up adorably.

"Maybe… I like to keep the mystery alive?" Heather tried to postpone as she tried to think of an idea on what to say.

Naya quirked her eyebrow, resting her right hand on her hip, "Okay, now you're just being a tease."

Heather blushed and fiddled with her apron strings.

"Hey, if you don't wanna tell me your name, I can just go and ask your friend over here…" Naya suggested moving back over to Kaitlyn who was watching the two of them interact with a smirk.

Amused, Kailtyn answered, "Yeah, her name is—"

"Ashley!" Heather found herself shouting the first name that came to her head. Of course that first name just had to belong to her best friend and roommate… Her eyes automatically widened at her stupidness as Naya turned back to her and cocked her head to the side, squinting at her. Kaitlyn looked to her with a similar quizzical expression.

"What—" Kaitlyn tried to question before Heather interrupted again.

"My name is Ashley," Heather said more quietly and with more confidence. Naya walked back over to her slowly as if she were stalking her prey. Heather fidgeted nervously as brown eyes never tore away from blue ones. Heather was hoping Naya would take it and never bother her again, but she continued to examine her.

"Hm… Ashley?" Naya asked her, testing the name on her tongue. Naya didn't know why, but for some reason it didn't feel like it fit. Heather however, simply nodded dumbly.

"Okay. _Ashley_… do you have a last name?"

"W-Why do you need it?" Heather stuttered. Then her voice turned serious, "Are you gonna stalk me or something?"

Naya laughed loudly again. "Am _I_ going to stalk _you_?"

"It's a valid question," Heather said looking to her as if she were crazy, and Naya quit her chuckles but continued to smile at her. "I don't just give my last name out to random strangers I hardly know."

"Random stranger…" Naya mumbled to herself, smile growing larger. She squinted her eyes at her and said more softly, "I think I enjoy your humor…"

Heather didn't find any of this funny at all as she furrowed her eyebrows at the Latina.

Then Naya leaned over the counter and whispered for only Heather to hear.

"I like you…"

Those three words flowed just as easily from the Latina's lips like the first time Heather heard her say it. Her heart began to bang furiously against her chest at the words she used to repeat to herself over and over in her head from memory.

"Yeah, I like you… You're just… something else," Naya stated, eyes twinkling. "Can't put my finger on it quite yet, but I'm getting there."

Heather blushed, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"I just wanted to tell you that I love your coffee… Best latte I ever had," she said, taking a sip of the one she had now. Heather could hear the faintest sigh of content leave the Latina's lips. Her disorientated mind oddly filed away the sound for later memory. "I'll see you around."

With that she turned around to leave. Before she exited the door she turned back to Heather and called out to her.

"Oh, and thank you for the extra foam… Ashley…"

And she was gone again leaving Heather blushing furiously. Heather was sure she had to wake up… she wanted to wake up, but she didn't. When she realized this all wasn't a dream she thought how deep of a hole she was digging herself into. Heather, coming out of her daze, realized everyone in the shop was still watching her. Her eyebrows furrowed and she folded her arms across her chest firmly.

"What?" she asked around to the silent room, and with that everyone went back to their daily morning routine. She turned to make the next order in attempts to shake off the slight inconsistency in her day. As she tried to go back to work, she caught Kaitlyn's eye who was leaning over the counter, smirking at her.

"Stop looking at me like that…" Heather scolded her.

"Hey, sorry… just never knew you to be one to flirt with your customers. For as long as I've known you, you always keep things friendly but professional," Kaitlyn chuckles.

"It was not my fault… she caught me off guard… And I was _not_ flirting," Heather retorted, adding whipped cream to a mocha espresso.

"Mhm… whatever you say, _Ashley_…" Kaitlyn mocks. Heather rolls her eyes and releases a heavy sigh. She couldn't help, but feel a little torn. Part of her wanted Naya to never come through that jingling door again, while another very large part of her was selfish and wanted to see Naya every morning from then on out… Even if it meant she thought she was someone else.

The final thought made Heather curse aloud.

"Fuck… what did I get myself into?"

* * *

><p>Naya walked briskly into the choir room set of Glee, head held high. She tipped her coffee cup back to get the last remaining drops of deliciously flavored caramel coffee, before tossing it into a nearby trash bin. She smiled contentedly. There was no better way to start her day with an amazing latte from one amazingly, curious Latte Girl. Naya's lips smiled wider at the thought of her blonde.<p>

She was intrigued to say the least. The blonde named Ashley reminded her of an irrational infatuation with a coworker that she realized could never possibly work… It was foolish and took up only a brief time of Naya's life when she used to wear her heart on her sleeve. Similar physical traits and verbal tendencies whisked her back to her more innocent, bright-eyed self when she first walked onto this very set. Her eyes glazed at the distant memory of what used to be.

Kevin was doing papa wheelies with his wheel chair and cracking jokes to make Jenna giggle when he spotted his friend smile ridiculously with a dazed expression in the back corner of the choir room. He raised his eyebrow curiously and briefly excused himself from Jenna. He hopped over to the plastic chair below Naya's riser. Judged by her smug expression, he guessed that she must have had her coffee this morning…

"So bee… did Huntress Naya claim her poor, innocent Latte Girl?" Kevin mocked Naya as he leaned on the back rest of the chair with his forearms. Her distracted eyes turned to Kevin. "Did you enjoy going back for seconds?"

"Ha ha… funny, bee…" Naya replied sarcastically. Dianna had strolled in on set and immediately walked over to her fiery, Latina cast mate. After yesterday, she too was dying to know what happened this morning… When Naya was caught up by something she knew the Latina could never tear herself away until she was either completely satisfied or bored.

"Come on now… answer the question," Dianna urged as she sat herself gracefully in the seat next to her, smoothing her sundress over her costumed baby bump. "You were just adorable as you regaled to us your experience yesterday."

Kevin and Dianna snickered lightly and Naya rolled her eyes.

"I was not fawning over her like some teenage, hormonal boy with no control. Keep your pants on, kids… She makes a really good damn latte okay?" Naya folded her arms lightly across her chest, nose lifted slightly in the air, "However, I do feel like this morning went over fairly well…"

"Oh damn!" Kevin praised, "Poor baby deer probably didn't know what hit her!"

"Yeah… she was pretty surprised that I came back…" Naya mumbled. "Maybe I'm being too forward?" Naya asked, her question directed to Dianna; the more logical half of the two. The blonde pursed her lips in thought.

"Nah… she's probably just star struck…" Kevin justified.

"But that's the thing… I don't think that's it… She treated me how she treated every other customer in line before me."

"Nay, I think you're kinda reading into this," Dianna pointed out as she watched her friend mull over the fine details of her latest encounter with the infamous Latte Girl.

"Probably…" Naya pursed her lips, "I just feel like I know her from somewhere… that we've met before. I feel like she's hiding something…"

Dianna looked up at her, "Naya, honey. You do realize you met this girl yesterday? How could you know she's hiding something from you?"

Naya shrugged as she brooded. Dianna leaned back and examined her friend's posture, slowly clicking together the pieces.

"Oh my God… Naya Rivera is finally stumped over someone she can't get," Dianna said, laughter ringing in her voice. Kevin snickered.

"I am not!" Naya exclaimed to the two of them.

"Wow… I never thought I would live to see this day…" Dianna told her, placing her hand over her heart in mock emphasis of emotion.

"Oh shut up, Agron."

"Hm, defensive much? The only time I've ever kinda seen you like this was back when we first started filming and—"

"It is definitely nothing like that _at all._ That was forever ago… I'm not interested in her like that. I'm just… curious is all," Naya reasoned.

"I'm pretty sure curious is the same thing as interested, Nay Nay," Kevin chuckled. Dianna simply nodded in agreement.

"Whatever… I should remember never to confide in you two of all people," Naya scoffed and folded her arms protectively over her chest. She didn't like it when people called her out on her crushes… not that she had a crush. That was the thing, she was honestly only curious about the blonde. Her feelings towards her were undefined at the moment and she was in no hurry to figure them out. She wanted to take her time.

"Oh come on, Naya," Dianna said rolling her eyes and pulling Naya's hand out to hold in her lap, "We're just messing with you. It's such a rarity to see you so flustered."

"I'm not… just to clarify. Do you see me blushing?" Naya said, putting her hand up to gesture to her tanned, uncolored complexion.

"Fine… you're not flustered," Dianna repeated to please her friend, even though she had that knowing smile that Naya always loathed. "Just don't kill the girl while you're out on your conquest, okay?"

Dianna looked to her crossly, that sweet smile playing on her lips while Naya simply shook her head and smiled back. She rolled her eyes at her two cast mates and friends who were looking up at her.

"You know bb, your eyes are gonna get stuck up there if you keep rolling 'em like that," Kevin sniggered.

Naya scoffed and glared at Kevin, "Oh whatever… I don't know how I became friends with you two…"

The two were happy to see that their Latina friend still remained herself over the entire situation. They knew she would let them know if it got out of hand. Dianna patted her thigh supportively.

"Because we all love each other… And when it comes to love, you can't really deny it," Dianna told her wisely, the look in her eyes sending an obvious double meaning to her troubled friend. Naya looked back to her wearily. She honestly didn't know where the blonde got her advice from. It always freaked her out how right she was all the time…

Their director stepped on to set and Dianna and Kevin both left her side to go and sit in their appropriate places. She was left to herself to think as she had no dialogue in this scene. The chair next to her squeaked as another set of red and white polyester uniform flashed in the corner of her eye. Naya turned to her costar who sat next to her. Her eyes briefly scanned over familiar delicate, fair skin that was dotted with cute little freckles unseen by the camera. Bright ginger ringlets bounced in its tight Cheerio's ponytail and her steel blue eyes looked to Naya's soft brown ones momentarily before turning away.

Naya smiled politely in her direction and the other girl smiled back. The two didn't try to acknowledge each other more than that. Naya slumped into her seat. Her eyes drifted off somewhere else as she couldn't help but feel confused and oddly incomplete.


	4. Part 1: Chapter 3

A/N: I am astonished by the amount of reviews so far... honestly, 74? That's incredible. Everyone's reviews have been spectacular. I must say that a lot of you are on the right track as far as the whole "Naya's past crush" scenario. I don't want to give much away, but I'm not like RIB... I will touch on it eventually haha. As far as those who are worried about "Fake Brittany", don't be. She has a very minimal role in this story because it's very hard for me to imagine the show without Heather as well, so don't worry about that! Also, I was not inspired at all by "Gingertana" or whoever that is from the Glee Project... I do not follow that show at all, so I have no clue what that is referring to. My beta kinda ran it by me what it was about, but definitely had no intentions on basing the character on that particular contestant. If you must know, I was thinking much more on the lines of a quiet more mellow redhead, like Bryce Dallas Howard. That was what I was going for. However, the story doesn't centralize much on this additional character I've created, so don't fret over it. Thank you again for the reviews. You're all fabulous. Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: This fic is RPF! I do not own anything, this is a complete work of fiction. I DO NOT know either of these women nor am I affiliated with Glee or its creators. I also do not own the song "Taylor, The Latte Boy," by Kristin Chenoweth which this fic is loosely based on. These two are not a couple… unfortunately.

**The Latte Girl  
>Chapter 3<strong>

It was Thursday, which is Heather's hell day. Thursdays are when she had to open early alone and close late alone. Normally, there's at least someone with her either in the night or in the morning… but Thursdays… oh how she dreaded Thursdays. Luckily she got a long lunch break, but still… it didn't make up for the cranky morning people and the creepy late night people.

She goes through her day like clockwork, just doing the motions and making small talk to customers. Heather finds herself constantly watching the clock in the morning as time winds closer to 8:11… But the hours pass and soon it's noon. Heather knows she won't walk in, but glances one final time to the entrance of the coffee shop before her break. When it doesn't jingle and she doesn't see long brown hair and olive skin, she sighs and admits to herself that she isn't coming. She should have known better than to expect that she could possibly become friends with the rising star, let alone get away with it while disguising herself under another name. She runs a frustrated hand over tired eyes and laughs to her naïveté. She really had no idea what she was thinking shouting out Ashley's name yesterday… Heather shakes her head. At least she didn't have to worry about keeping up her lie.

She tells Kaitlyn she's going out for her lunch break. Heather slips off her apron and grabs her purse to go run down the block to the little sandwich place she normally always gets her lunch at. The man at the counter smiled at Heather's familiar face, his eyes gleaming in cheeriness because of the cute coffee girl down the street. She politely returned the gesture. He was the scruffy newspaper guy Ashley always talks about… The more she looked at him, the older he seemed to look. Her roommate really did have the weirdest taste in men.

He always comes in the morning with his daily newspaper in hand and orders the same blend from Heather, double dark roast, before he starts his shift at the sandwich place. Heather knew he was a nice guy, a bit creepy sometimes, but polite and courteous nonetheless. Even so, he never sparked any interest in her… come to think of it, she didn't even know his name. But, it didn't seem to matter. No matter how much Ashley pushed her to ask him out, or any guy for that matter, she just hasn't felt that electricity. Yeah, she's a little bit of a hopeless romantic, but there has to be at least something there. Kinda like…

Heather shook her head.

_No…_ She lectured herself. She would not lead herself down that trail.

The newspaper, sandwich boy looked at the Black Horse Café barista quizzically. The normally bright and bubbly blonde seemed very out of it today… He finished wrapping up her turkey and swiss sandwich and poured her a cup of their vegan chili. After ringing her up, Heather took her lunch graciously and quickly walked out the door from the eying sandwich guy.

She walks back to the café slowly and gives herself some time to simply think about the meaning behind this situation. For a moment she thinks she made it all up in her head… it must have been wishful thinking that the small glimmer of what used to be would come back into her life. She liked Naya. Even though her constant questioning and interrogation was rather nerve-wracking… She enjoyed her unexpectedness from the few moments she interacted with her. Her unpredictability was refreshing in Heather's typical, rather monotonous lifestyle. Not only was she intrigued by her, Naya also reminded her of dance and who she was at that time she "auditioned" for Glee. Waves of memories brought her back ashore to that hopeful, young dancer who had just moved into the city; prepared to fight any competition for her future career. The reminder of her younger self made Heather smile unknowingly.

Heather sat down at the small marble island in the middle of their tiny bakery unit in the back of the shop. She unwrapped her sandwich and munched on it thoughtfully. Seeing Naya Rivera again suddenly gave her the urge to call up her old dance studio… Her feet tapped on her stool with uncontained energy. Unable to control herself any longer, she whipped out her phone from her back pocket and called up an old friend and teacher from the dance class she used to take last year. The instant she heard the familiar voice, she smiled and signed up for whatever class was being offered this weekend. She could care less what the genre was… All that mattered was that she was going to step foot on the dance floor once again after how many months of trying to give it up. She knew she would never have been able to. Heather just needed that extra push to remind herself of who she really was… a dancer. That push happened to come in the form of luscious, exotic skin and dark, meaningful eyes.

Maybe Naya walked into her coffee shop for a purpose. Just a small dent in her day to give Heather a cascade full of hope and remembrance of the thing she used to love best. Satisfied and thankful that Naya had led her to a secret little passage road back to her long lost best friend, she bounced off the counter surface and tied her apron back on. With this new found energy and purpose, Heather pushed on with her day, never more cheerful to customers in her entire time at the Black Horse Café.

She busied herself throughout the day, barely even noticing that the sun had long past set behind the notorious white Hollywood billboard. The hillsides twinkled like the stars embedded in the night sky up ahead. At 9:45, she started to go through her close up routine: mopping up the tables, putting away the pastries, organizing the blends and specials for the next morning, cleaning the espresso machine... the standard procedure. She's behind the counter faced away from the door when she hears the door jingle.

_Odd someone is coming in so late_.

She knew she should tell them they were closing, but Heather has never turned away a customer before. She thought it pointless to start now.

"I'll be with you in just a minute," she called over her shoulder as she rung out a rag.

"Take your time…" Heather froze again and her heart started to beat faster. She turned around to see a very tired looking Naya standing small in front of the counter. But as Heather looked to her, Naya's eyes warmed and that smile returned to her lips.

"I was actually surprised to see the lights were on when I drove by… I couldn't help, but think to myself how lonely it would be for someone to be working so late by themself. Maybe they would want some company?" she suggested, hopefully as she leaned over the counter slightly. She had that teasing grin on her lips that was torturing Heather to no end.

"That is thoughtful of you… but I find it kinda odd that you would like to spend your Thursday night in a lonely coffee shop with some stranger," Heather reasoned out softly.

Naya chuckled and shook her head, "What is it with you and strangers?"

"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to speak to them?"

"Sure, but that's when we were defenseless kids and didn't know any better. So I'll ask you this… How do you meet people exactly?" Naya questioned.

Heather rolled her eyes, "Well, this isn't the most conventional way in my eye."

"Then, maybe you should open your eyes a little wider. Never know what kind of possibilities are right in front of you," Naya played. She was a smooth talker… that's for sure.

It's not that Heather didn't mind associating herself with unfamiliar faces. She enjoyed conversing with random strangers. But that's the thing Naya _wasn't _an unfamiliar face… knowing who she was and her affiliation with the show she had wanted to be in so badly lingered in the back of her head. It made Heather nervous.

"Listen…" Heather said slowly, coming up behind the register, "I'm not really interested in playing these little games," she said honestly. Naya's smile faltered ever so slightly, but being the actress she was, she hid her nerves well. She stood back up straight and crossed her arms over her chest protectively.

"Because… I've been tricked before… many, many times. And I don't like walking into trouble."

Heather was fiddling with the tips of her fingers nervously are she tried to speak with confidence. Naya cocked her head to the side as she breathed in deeply, examining the blonde curiously.

"So… what can I get for you?" Heather asked in fake cheerfulness.

Naya simply stared at Heather for a good full minute and Heather fidgeted, obviously intimidated by those entrancing eyes. She suddenly felt vulnerable and small… maybe her choice in words wasn't so smart?

"I'll take that rag right there," Naya pointed behind Heather who looked at her quizzically.

"What?" she looked behind her. "The rag?"

"Yes."

"Um… is this some sort of joke I'm supposed to understand?"

"No… no tricks," Naya said honestly. "I just want the rag."

Heather looked at her wearily and Naya sighed.

"Look, I'll fucking pay for it if you want… I promise I'm not gonna strangle you with it or anything weird like that," Naya said. Heather walked backwards towards the sink, eyes never leaving Naya's as she grabbed the ragged wash cloth.

She handed it to Naya who took the unsanitary, worn item graciously and walked over to one of the dirtied tables in the corner. She leaned over and began to wipe it down as if her next meal depended on it. Heather just watched her in surprise, mouth agape. Once Naya finished she copied the way Heather had stacked the chairs on top of the other tables. She moved on to the next table and continued to work. She looked up to Heather expectantly.

"Well… are you gonna just stand there or are you gonna help me finish closing up shop?"

"Why are you doing this?" Heather asked timidly. Naya stopped what she was doing and looked back up at Heather.

"No tricks," Naya repeated. She looked to Heather and smiled, suddenly becoming shy which is a rare thing for Naya, "It may sound silly, but I just wanna get to know you… that's all. You remind me of someone I used to know…"

Heather watched as the Latina's mind drifted to a past memory. Naya quickly waved it away.

"Look, if you're freaked out by all of this I understand. I'm sure that this doesn't happen to you every day…"

Heather looked to Naya, the small Latina holding one of her soiled rags in such a delicate hand. The image of the celebrity in the setting she was in made Heather smile. Naya Rivera wasn't anything at all like she expected… Then again, assuming things never turned out well for her as Ashley always liked to point out.

Heather eventually smiled and let out a scoff, "Don't flatter yourself. Believe me some pretty weird people come in here late at night…"

She gave Naya one of her charming smiles that always won her customers over. It seemed to have a similar effect on the Latina.

"But Naya Rivera trying to do my job for me? You're definitely the least of my worries."

Naya smiled wider, pleased with the fact that Heather still remained unfazed by the fact that she's currently on one of the hottest shows on network television.

"So… you're okay with this? Because you can totally kick me out if you want," Naya gave her the option just to make sure.

"Yeah… just stop doing me favors and sit down before you break something," Heather joked with a smile, taking the rag from Naya's hands.

"Hey! I'm not useless you know," Naya lectured, but sat down gratefully. It had been a long day on set.

"Well, you look tired. So why do you just let me do the work, yeah?" Heather joked. "I can make you something if you'd like."

"Oh no, please… I'm fine," Naya said, propping her chin in her hand as she watched Heather.

She enjoyed letting her eyes roam the girl's gentle traits and careful gestures. She worked so diligently around the coffee shop, giving extra tenderness and love to the old building. The more Naya watched the more she felt like the walls of the café had somehow absorbed the bright energy exuding from the blonde, the liveliness obviously captured in every nook and corner. She moved about with a grace Naya had never quite seen contained in a person before. She could tell the Latte Girl cared deeply for the place.

Heather rummaged in the back where they kept the pastries and brought out today's coffee cake. Heather placed it in front of Naya who shook her head.

"No, you don't have to—"

"Please take it… I'd feel horrible if I didn't feed Naya Rivera. Your managers would probably sue me or somethin'…" Heather joked and Naya laughed. "Besides, we have to get rid of it anyways and I'm sick of taking it all home… My roommate told me to stop because she wants to go on a 'diet'."

Heather emphasized with air quotes, knowing all too well that Ashley's diets consisted of creamsicles and strawberries with an inhumane amount of whipped cream. She smiled at her roommate's silly tendencies.

"Oh? So you're just feeding me out of convenience?" Naya said with a mouthful of coffee cake.

"… Not that I'm complaining… this is really good…" she admitted.

Heather smiled as she roamed around the coffee shop cleaning, "Glad you think so cause I made it this morning."

"You made this?" Naya said mouth full and eyes wide.

Heather chuckled, "Yeah… normally I find recipes confusing, but my mom always used to let me bake with her when I was a kid. So I remember how to make things from memory."

Naya paused her chewing to examine Heather again, "So I take it you don't forget things very often?"

Heather looked back over to Naya, getting a little nervous on where the topic was turning, "Yah. Normally I'm pretty good at recalling stuff…"

"Hm…" Naya hummed as she thought to herself, "So Tuesday was the first time you've ever seen me?"

"Mhm…" Heather could only reply, as she bent down behind the counter to organize the coffee grounds for tomorrow.

"Oh…" Naya concluded with a sigh. Heather couldn't help but hear the slight disappointment in her voice. But she wasn't about to completely call out the star on that… she had just started a normal conversation with the girl.

"You sound surprised," Heather piped up, peeking her head above the counter at Naya. Naya smiled at her as she could only see up to the bridge of the other girl's nose, those blue eyes hovering over the ledge.

"Well, I mean… I guess I'm surprised you didn't recognize me… _at all_," Naya emphasized in attempt to cover her disappointment.

"Oh wait… you play that one cheerleader on Glee right?" Heather asked sarcastically with a joking smile and confused brow, as she had walked over to where Naya was sitting while drying off a coffee pot.

Naya rolled her eyes as Heather sat down in front of her and her expression broke out into a full out grin.

"So I take it you're not a big Glee fan?"

"Mmm… no not really," Heather flirtatiously lied. And then she mentally slapped herself for flirting, then again for lying in the first place. "I just feel like TV shows nowadays are all the same... same plotlines, same characters, same dialogue. Everything is just reused in just the slightest difference in context. It's all overrated… If you've seen one, you've seen 'em all."

Naya eyed her and then laughed out when she realized why that line sounded so familiar

"Are you quoting Singing in the Rain?" she managed out in between chuckles.

Heather paused in the middle of wiping her pot.

"Uh…"

"You are!" Naya exclaimed. Heather's cheeks turned beet red.

"You know this says a lot about a person," Naya said tapping her chin with a smile, "You're either a big movie buff who's obsessed with all the classics… or a closeted musical geek."

Heather smiled as she placed the coffee pot down. "Neither actually."

"Oh? What are you then?"

"I don't really like to label myself…" Heather pointed out. Naya smiled at her answer.

"I'm cool with that."

Heather smiled and averted her gaze down, "But if you really want to know, I consider myself a dancer."

"Dancer?" Naya repeated with a smile.

"Why? Do I not look it?"

"No, no! You definitely look it…" Naya replied contentedly. "I should have guessed it."

Suddenly Heather felt like she was giving too much away and her cheeks blushed at the unforeseen compliment.

"Yeah... but I'm attempting to get into acting…" she said quietly.

Naya snorted while her lips quirked into a smirk at the comment.

"You and every other latte girl in Hollywood," she joked.

Heather laughed. She had a point.

"What kind of projects have you done so far?" Naya asked, taking another bite from the coffee cake that Heather had begun to nibble at as well.

"I don't think I emphasized the _attempting_ part of the statement enough for you to understand," Heather chuckled and Naya smiled. "I'm awful at it."

"Come on now, it can't be that bad."

"Oh no… it's_ that_ bad. When you only last 10 minutes in your classical drama techniques class before you fall asleep, you know it's bad."

"Okay, that's because you were taking a _classical drama techniques_ class… I mean who even takes that?"

"You didn't?" Heather questioned with a raised eyebrow. The fact even further supported how absolutely naturally talented the actress before her was. Heather was impressed all the more.

"Nuh uh… Definitely not. Actually our writers often encourage us not to take classes. You learn so much on set anyways," Naya reasoned.

"You should tell my roommate that…" Heather mumbled and Naya laughed.

"So what kind of style are you into then?" the Latina further inquired with curiosity.

"Oh… Well, I don't know if I have a particular "style". Everything really. But I really love making people laugh," Heather said simply.

"Hm… I can see that. Suits you."

Heather smiled widely.

They went on like that for a good hour, long after the coffee cake they shared rested contentedly in their stomachs. They talked about everything and nothing. The odd thing was that it was so easy. Heather had never conversed so effortlessly with a stranger in her entire life, with the exception of maybe Ashley… but even then. With Naya it was different. Everything flowed between them like the café's smoothest blend of freshly brewed coffee; the conversation, the laughter. It all felt bizarre, but comfortable at the same time. It was as if they were catching up rather than really meeting for the first time.

Heather looked to the time. It was nearly eleven and she hadn't even finished closing up shop. Heather had to unfortunately break their lovely bantering and stream of thought to finish cleaning. Naya willingly volunteered to help her finish the last tasks of the night. Heather smiled at how Naya was so grounded and humble. She was happy she didn't have to close up alone after all. As Heather grabbed the keys to lock up, Naya grabbed hers as well. Naya stood by the door, looking to Heather with a smile.

"So, did I officially pass the stranger danger test?" Naya asked, lips curving up happily, emphasizing her laugh lines.

"Mmm… I'll think about it," Heather says and Naya rolls her eyes.

"Jesus… what does it take to get on your friend's list?"

"Not much," Heather whispered quietly with a shrug and Naya smiled genuinely to her.

"Well, hopefully I'm earning some brownie points by helping you clean up tonight."

"I guess you're inching your way up there," Heather playfully replied. Naya shook her head.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Naya told her definitely. Heather's stomach did flip flops in anxiousness.

"Cool, see you then."

"Goodnight, Ashley," Naya said softly and slipped out the door.

Her words made Heather's smile fall slightly from her lips as she remembered the lie she was keeping up. Suddenly she regretted how stupid she was to think Naya would judge her or anything. She wouldn't have cared the slightest about her evident demotion from the dancer touring the world with Beyoncé to the girl behind the counter pouring Naya's morning coffee. After talking to the actress and really getting to know her, she knew she wouldn't have given it a second thought. Heather sighed. Still, she couldn't help but smile at the amazing time she had with the intriguing Latina.

It was the longest and latest worked Thursday she's had since working at the Black Horse Café. She even missed the bus home which meant she had to walk back. But she found she didn't mind. It was the best Thursday she's ever had.


	5. Part 1: Chapter 4

A/N: You guys are awesome, as always. Some of your predictions are pretty spot on as well, although I don't think I'm being too discrete on what's going to happen. Everything has been pretty straight forward I feel. This chapter was meant to be a lot longer, but by the time I finished it, it was WAY too long... I guess I got a little carried away. So I decided to split it into two chapters. Hopefully it will still have the same impact, I think you'll really enjoy the next two installments :) Thank you again for the reviews, broke 100! I'm as always amazed! Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: This fic is RPF! I do not own anything, this is a complete work of fiction. I DO NOT know either of these women nor am I affiliated with Glee or its creators. I also do not own the song "Taylor, The Latte Boy," by Kristin Chenoweth which this fic is loosely based on. These two are not a couple… unfortunately.

Spoilers: Season 1 so far

**The Latte Girl  
>Chapter 4<strong>

It had been a week. Heather was busy with work as normal. She would continue on with her typical routine: smiling cheerfully at her customers, preparing drinks with excellence, and taking care of the coffee shop to its most pristine condition. Even though routine, her exuberance seemed considerably brighter.

It was like clockwork. Heather would already be prepared and waiting behind the counter as Naya would walk through the door at exactly 8:11 in the morning. Pen firmly in hand and smile ever brighter, she had never been happier in a long time. She was a new friend… and it was exciting to say the least. Not simply because she's the hottest number one bitch on her favorite show, but because Naya Rivera was an absolute sweet heart under that incredibly defensive exterior. Every morning after she made Naya's coffee she would take her break and the two would sit in their little corner table, chatting away until Naya had to leave and step into that infamous Cheerio's uniform or until Heather had to tie on her old apron to start her next shift. Heather would have felt odd if it were any different.

With Naya breezing in through the door of the Black Horse Café, it seemed that more customers did as well as Heather was continually seeing new faces. It was as if Naya had some sort of magic that just lured everyone in. Heather couldn't help, but fall victim as well.

Like clockwork… 8:11AM exactly. Heather turned her head to the jingling door to that face that always makes her day a little brighter. Naya stands promptly, lifting her sunglasses up to rest atop of her head as her eyes dart to Heather immediately. She gave a quick wave to the busy latte girl behind the counter who beamed back brightly. Naya looked around to see the rather small, quiet coffee shop bustling with customers. With a raised eyebrow, she stood in the long queue patiently.

Today they were particularly busier than normal. Maybe it was because the day was a stormy, cold gray one. The clouds were threatening to spill over the Hollywood skyline any second now. Rainy days always did bring in extra crowds. Heather's boss and his son even had to come in to help the two baristas this morning. Cody only came in every now and again for some extra cash… The young teen was in high school, all but sixteen years old with the most adorable crush on Heather. Every time the blonde brushed past the tall, gangly adolescent, he would practically trip over himself. Kaitlyn would mock Heather every day because of it. It was horrible because the short chestnut-haired pixie would always encourage the hopeful teen. Heather swore they were separated at birth or something because they acted so much like brother and sister. The poor boy would start sweating in anxiousness every time Heather would simply call out an order to him; Kaitlyn on the other hand advised him with her devilish ways. He tried to flirt… however failing miserably. Heather found it simply endearing, while Kaitlyn giggled knowingly.

"You're new best friend is here," Kaitlyn mocked over her shoulder as she worked the espresso machine.

"I told you… I've only just met her…" Heather replied modestly as she filled their strongest blend in a ceramic cup and handed it to a very tired looking man. At the mention of Naya being her best friend, Heather couldn't help but blush. She quickly brushed the ridiculous idea away as she smiled sweetly at the customer in front of her. The man with dark circles around his eyes smiled fondly back, the blonde seemingly brightening his soon to be long day.

"Yah… and you two have hour long coffee dates every freakin' day."

"And I also told you if you have a problem with it you can call me back earlier," Heather retorted, "I don't mind."

That was a lie.

"Psh… you're a horrible liar."

See? It was that easy…

"Are you talking about the celebrity chick that's bringing in the extra crowd?" Cody inquired Kaitlyn curiously from the cash register.

"Mhm… Seems to have taken a liking to _Ashley _over here," Kaitlyn continued to joke wagging her eyebrows up and down. Heather rolled her eyes. Cody simply chuckled knowingly, but then coughed uncomfortably and blushed when Heather glared at him.

"Chatting about Heather's secret life again?" her greying boss cheerfully asked as he popped up from the back.

Heather groaned and smacked her palm over her head.

That was another thing… _everyone_ knew about Heather's slip up thanks to Kaitlyn. The other girl couldn't help but blab jokingly about Heather's rather unfortunate situation. Now she never hears the end of it… however her coworkers were like family. They never uttered a word to the famous Latina. They simply played along with Heather's little act, watching how long it would last before the Latina would put the pieces together or when Heather would crack. Kaitlyn even made a bet with Cody that it would the latter of the two… they all knew Heather can't lie let alone act. However, they felt like Naya was somehow responsible for the increase in customers this past week. It was a blessing in these hard times. So in a sense, her boss actually encouraged this messed up situation Heather was in, however in a more joking, supportive way.

"Oh, _Ashley_… be happy! Millions of Glee fans would love to be in your place," her boss mocked.

Her boss, Reese, was a good man. He reminded Heather so much of her late father. He had those aged wrinkles that told of experience and old stories. When Heather had walked through the door of his coffee shop that first day so long ago, he couldn't help but feel for the tired dancer. Relating and empathizing with her story and charmed with her warm, infectious personality he hired her on the spot. Reese was a collective man, always mulling things over with his wife before making a big decision. But hiring Heather was one of his best decisions being in this business. He hadn't once regretted his choice.

"Says who?" she asked in exasperation as she turned to him to find that Naya was now second in line. She lidded her last cup and worked her way over to the register, practically tossing Cody aside. The boy wasn't even fazed as the blonde clutched his upper arm. Instead a goofy grin graced his lips.

"I'll take it from here," she quickly said in excuse.

"Yeah… sure thing…" he replied with an evident tone of lovesickness in his voice. Kaitlyn rolled her eyes and smacked him with her towel to knock some sense in the eyeing teenager.

Heather finished ringing up the lady in front of the Latina who walked up casually as the woman took her change.

"Good morning," she said smoothly with that oh so lovely voice. Heather smiled brightly.

"How are you?"

"Not too bad… recording last night was not fun at all…" Naya replied and Heather finally took time to realize that her eyes looked rather tired.

"I'm sure you sounded amazing though," Heather couldn't help but tell her honestly. After the Madonna episode, Heather had been even further impressed when the Latina debuted her impeccable voice. She couldn't believe such a voice could sound anymore delicious than that…

"So, extra shot I take it? On the house?" she offered politely, as she scribbled the order onto the paper cup. Naya smiled knowingly at her Latte Girl's generosity.

"Thanks," she replied, taking out her five dollar bill.

"Certainly busier than the first time I walked in here…" Naya said with a sweet smile.

"Yeah… it's been a mad house lately. It's never been like this before," Heather told her, returning her change. Then she whispered to her, "But then again, I think it's cause we're getting an extra attraction."

"Hm… can't think of what it would be. It must be the good coffee. Word spreads around ya know." Naya placed the two dollars of her change in the tip jar. Heather didn't even try to protest… it never worked although she hated it when she gave her money like that.

Heather chuckled, "Yah, must be."

"Or it could be the service. It's not too bad either," Naya added with a wink. Heather blushed as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Hey! Stop holding up the line up there!" some grumpy middle-aged, business man in a suit yelled in the back. Heather didn't realize that the line was starting to go out the door. Heather took her cup in a hurry and turned to make her drink. She didn't spot Naya turn around and make a glare at the man, who instantly apologized after he recognized her from that issue of Maxim that's still left lying on his coffee table. He loosened his tie and tried to pick up a conversation with her, but Naya turned away bored and continued her conversation with Heather behind the counter as she made her drink.

"How was the dance class last night? You seemed pretty excited," Naya remembered from their talk days before.

"You remembered?" Heather inquired with a raised eyebrow. Naya tried to shrug it off nonchalantly.

"Yeah… I mean you wouldn't shut up about the first class you had," she chuckled.

Heather had been attending as much class as she could since Naya came back into her life. The girl just inspired her to be what she always wanted to be. She was thankful for what Naya gave back to her and in response, the Latina had been nothing but encouraging.

"Hm, maybe I should let your ears rest then," Heather joked back.

"Come on now, I didn't mean it like that. I wanna hear all about it… Don't spare me the details."

"Well… since you want to know _so _badly," Heather said and she swore she heard Kaitlyn snigger behind her. "It feels amazing to be back… It's like reuniting with an old friend, ya know?"

Heather lidded Naya's cup carefully and proffered it up on the counter for her.

"Yah, definitely know the feeling," she said with a smile looking deeply into her blue eyes. After a few moments, Heather averted her gaze as she felt like Naya was doing that thing again where she was trying to read her. And Heather was always easy to read… Naya took her cup from the stand and took a sip. She let out a small contented sigh. It was the same response every morning and Heather smiled satisfied.

"Table?" Naya gestured with a nod.

"Yeah, in a minute," Heather nodded and Naya made her way over to their familiar spot in the back corner by the window.

Heather hurriedly made her way to the back, impatiently tying off her apron.

"I'm taking my break!" she yelled out to her coworkers.

"Yah, yah…" Kaitlyn waved her hand carelessly at her as she counted a customer's change.

"Don't make this one too long today, H-Ashley… Full house today," Reese told her with his deep voice as he cleaned off the espresso machine.

"Yah, sure thing," Heather noted as she ran off to Naya who was scrolling through her phone and drinking her coffee. She pulled back the chair opposite from her and settled in it comfortably. Naya looked up and smiled.

"So… I have news for you," Naya began.

"Oh really? You've been waiting to tell me specifically?" Heather joked and Naya rolled her eyes.

"Yah… It's because we talked about it on Tuesday when it was a slow morning for you," Naya told her with a somewhat serious tone.

"Oh…" Heather said simply, remembering what Naya was referring to.

They talked about ex-boyfriends… more so Naya did. Heather merely listened quietly, adding her input every now and again. However when the Latina did inquire the blonde about her past relationships, Heather remained reserved as those feelings were still rather sore… It didn't help that Taylor was calling her every night for hours on end. For some reason they seemed more frequent than before, as if he was trying harder to hold on to her or something. She had to admit she was being distant towards him ever since that unfortunate phone call last week.

She skimmed though the little details, but all in all Naya practically knew just about everything in her life. She knew pretty much everything, down to her favorite pair of socks she loved to wear to sleep and how her tongue got swollen when she drank extremely cold things, leaving her unable to speak properly. Naya begged her to demonstrate her for her, and Heather being herself of course obliged, sucking on an ice cube and then proceeding to try to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Naya laughed that entire morning.

Naya knew just about everything… except her real name.

"Yah… _That_… Mark asked me out… again…" Naya continued, taking a sip of her coffee.

"And?" Heather waited expectantly on the edge of her seat. For some reason she hoped her new friend said no. "What did you say?"

"I said I would think about it…" Naya told her honestly.

"Oh…" she said again, as if it were her only answer.

"You don't like that do you?" Naya put her on the spot. Heather blushed.

"Well, I don't know. It's not really my place to say. I've never really seen you two together besides that one time…"

"Yah… not one of my most glorious moments," Naya admitted with a scoff.

Not knowing why, Heather couldn't help but tell her truthfully, "I don't know Naya. I'm not really sure I like the way he treats you."

Naya let out a soft snort and smiled, "Funny, you actually genuinely care about who I do and don't date…"

"Would you rather me not?" Heather asked sweetly.

Naya simply smiled and let out a sigh, leaning back in her chair.

"You have no idea how refreshing it is being here…" she commented, taking another slow sip of her coffee. Heather cocked her head to the side and her lopsided grin that Naya has grown to adore spread on her lips.

"Why I'm so flattered to be of entertaining company to you," Heather joked and Naya laughed.

"I mean it! It's nice to not have any pressure… if only for a little while."

"Work that stressful?"

"No… and yes…" Naya said with a sigh. "It's been a lot to deal with lately. I honestly never thought the show would shoot off this much. I don't think any of us did… we were all just having fun. But, it's not really work when you love what you do ya know?"

Heather pondered over her words ever so sadly, thinking about her own job. She did love the people she was with and she did love the atmosphere… but did she love being a coffee barista? Well… it wasn't exactly her dream career.

"Now we're recording more numbers and doing more dance choreography then I ever imagined… Not to mention those damn cheerleading routines…"

Naya squeezed the bridge of her nose. Heather nodded.

"Yeah… Zach can be a little tough when it comes down to technicality," Heather remembered back. Naya eyed her curiously and when Heather realized what she said her eyes widened nervously.

"What did you just say?" Naya asked her, coffee brown orbs piercing her.

"Uh…" Heather answered stupidly.

"How did you know Zach was our choreographer?"

Heather fiddled with her fingers nervously under the table as her mouth opened and closed trying to think of an explainable answer.

"I… um… well…" Heather tried to start. Thankfully Cody stepped in.

"Hey, He-Ashley!" Cody quickly corrected himself with a blush. Heather simply laughed nervously examining Naya's reaction out of the corner of her eye. The Latina's eyes never left her. "Dad said just fifteen more minutes or so… Can't be like yesterday…"

Heather simply nodded.

"Are you guys talking about Glee? Cause this one is absolutely obsessed…" Cody tried to say suavely as he leaned on Heather's chair, slipping a little before catching himself. Heather glared at him. Now was not the time for immature boyish tendencies.

"Wait? What?" Naya asked confused.

Cody gave a little snort as if satisfied there was something Naya didn't know about Heather… besides the fact that she didn't know she was currently under a false name.

"Yah! Come on, you didn't know?"

"No actually…" Naya answered and Heather swore she could hear a little hurt in her voice. But the actress leaned back and smiled, "Why don't you enlighten me?"

"Well, this girl can't shut up about the show. She's pretty much your number one biggest fan. She keeps on trying to convert all of us; unfortunately got my mom stuck. Ashley's constantly rambling how amazing it is… especially after the last episode. Madonna right?" Cody turned to Heather to confirm, but Heather was looking at Naya who was looking at Cody with a raised eyebrow and amused smirk.

"Yah this week was Madonna," Naya confirmed for Heather, whose ears and cheeks were a bright shade of red. She sunk lower into her seat, completely embarrassed.

"That's what I thought. Ashley, here… well she kept going on and on how you sang—"

"Oh kay, Cody! Thank you for letting me know… fifteen minutes. Got it," Heather told him through gritted teeth. That eyebrow rose ever higher on Naya's forehead by Heather's response.

"Yah, you bet," Cody said, trying to go for a playful punch in the shoulder. Heather just sat there awkwardly with a blank face. Cody smiled to Naya and made his way to clear a few empty tables.

Naya leaned her chin in her palm looking up at Heather with an uneasy devilish smirk on her lips. Heather looked down to her, feeling her normal capability of speech slipping from her puddled brain.

"So? Not a big Glee fan, hm?" Naya mocked.

"Um… Well… I'll admit I've seen a few episodes here and there…"

"Hm… according to teenage dream boy over there, sounds like you're a bit more hooked than you make up to be," Naya joked, digging Heather deeper in her mess.

Heather couldn't help but blush and give a small smile as she referred to Cody by his nickname the two gave him. It took no genius for someone to figure out that he had a major crush on Heather and the instant Naya saw them interact she pointed out how Heather was the poor kid's "teenage dream". Like Kaitlyn, Naya was quick to give her a hard time about it as well. It was horrible, but she was amused watching the blonde fidget anxiously.

"I… uh…" Heather tried. She let out an exasperated sigh, "Caught?"

Naya gave a low chuckle, "Seems like it, hon."

"Okay, okay… I haven't missed an episode since the show aired. I'm pretty much like one of the biggest Gleeks out there okay?" Heather admitted uncomfortably, not really sure where Naya was going with this. She was just hoping she would forget about the whole Zach incident.

"Why didn't you just tell me when I first asked?"

"I…" Heather sighed and then truthfully explained, "I didn't want to freak you out… I thought you would think I was some sort of crazy obsessed fan that would give you creepy midnight calls and follow you home or stalk you on the internet or something…" she rambled miserably.

"It's pathetic, I know…" she told Naya, "You could totally unfriend me if you want…"

Naya laughed full-heartedly, snorts and all. Heather simply looked at her dumbfounded.

"Ashley, this isn't like Facebook or Twitter or something…" Heather shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She didn't feel like this was a laughing matter. Naya saw this and calmed herself down albeit still smiling, "I'm not going to 'unfriend' you…"

Heather breathed out in relief and started to rant out excuses, "I just didn't want you to think I was some freak or something! I swear I'm completely normal—"

"Whoa… Ashley… Calm down," Naya said with a chuckle. "It's not a big deal. I mean come on, who doesn't watch the show? It's good television. Everyone who doesn't should either kill themselves or actually do watch the show, but like to keep their Gleekness in the closet."

Heather smiled gratefully.

"I'm just gonna tell you though," Naya then told her seriously, "You don't have to lie to me about anything. Especially stuff like that. There's honestly only one type of person I can't stand…"

Naya looked deeply into Heather's eyes.

"…And that's a liar."

Heather couldn't help but gulp nervously.

"You should know as much as I do…" Naya referred. After their many late night discussions, the two revealed things about each other that many don't know. Naya had told Heather about the many times that people have deceived her. They've both had bad experiences where people tell them lies to simply benefit themselves.

"I told you before. I like you. I think you're fun to be around. So, just be honest with me. That's all I ask," Naya requested of her sweetly and Heather couldn't feel anymore guiltier of this lie she was continuing to build up with every passing second she spent with the Latina in front of her.

"I'm sorry…" Heather mumbled apologetically.

"God, you sound like you committed murder... I think I can let this one slip," Naya told her jokingly and Heather gave a weak smile. And then Naya asked as if she knew what Heather was hiding, "Is there anything… _anything _else you want to tell me?"

Heather looked up to Naya's expectant espresso orbs. She chewed her lip nervously, as she decided she would rather take her chance than wait another second of having Naya think she was something she was not.

"Naya, I—"

"Ashley!" The name didn't faze Heather at first as she continued to tell Naya what was on her mind, however the Latina turned to the requesting voice.

"…need to tell you about something… it was from forever ago and you probably won't remember but—"

"Um hello? Earth to Ashley?" Heather looked up Kaitlyn who was standing next to their table now tapping her wrist indicating the time. "Boss needs you in the back."

Heather sighed annoyed, "Right now? It can't wait?"

Kaitlyn raised her eyebrows at Heather and crossed her arms over her chest, "You got a problem, take it up with the boss."

With that the pixie haired cut brunette walked back to the busy counter where Cody was trying to work the steamer.

Heather groaned while Naya simply smiled.

"Hey, don't worry about it. No big deal," Naya comforted. But that wasn't what Heather was so frustrated with. Everything was building on top of each other and she knew it was all going to crumble fast. She was freaked out on how Naya would react to everything she wasn't telling her about her past.

"Besides… I steal you away practically every day. They have every right to be demanding," Naya said with a small smile then added quietly, "You're hard to share."

Heather bit her smiling lip.

"Yeah… I guess I better go. Work comes first right?"

"Yup…" Naya said as she let out a breath. She picked up her purse and half-empty coffee cup as she got up to leave as well. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Same time, every day," Heather nodded happily, she made her way over to the back but caught herself as she turned back to Naya for one last thing.

"Oh and Naya?"

Naya turned around, sunglasses in hand.

"Do what makes you happy. If you want to go out with Mark… you should," Heather concluded friendly.

"Oh…" Naya replied, and Heather couldn't help but tell that the actress looked seemingly disappointed by her response. However she regrouped quickly.

"You know what. I think I will. I mean you can't hold grudges forever right?"

"Of course. Forgive and forget," Heather told her firmly.

"Right…" Naya sighed softly.

"I'll see you around," Heather called to her as she tied on her apron.

"Ditto," Naya said curtly raising her cup slightly to gesture to Heather and made her way out the door with a jingle.

Heather sighed while her shoulders slumped. She had never been more confused in her life. Kaitlyn sidled up beside her.

"You're totally screwed, girl…"

"Yeah… I know, don't remind me," Heather agreed solemnly.


	6. Part 1: Chapter 5

A/N: I apologize for the brief wait. I was hoping to get this chapter up yesterday, but I ended up getting caught up in writing the next chapter of I Am The Liar And You Are The Saint. So for anyone who is waiting for that, the next chapter should be up as soon as I get it all primped up by my lovely beta. Speaking of my beta, my thanks always goes out to fossil_10! You're the best! I'm on my way with typing up Chapter 6 of The Latte Girl, so hopefully the next update will be sooner! Thank you again, everyone who has commented and have read thus far. It's been so awesome hearing and communicating with some of you! Believe me when I say I read every review and consider every comment. As readers you all spot somethings I never even really thought of, you're all little geniuses :) So this chapter I've got to dedicate to all the Gene Kelly fans out there as well as the hardcore coffee addicts. You'll see why soon! Enjoy!

**The Latte Girl  
>Chapter 5<strong>

Heather was ready to go home… She wiped the sweat from her brow as she finished mopping up the last tables for the night. It was 10:30 PM and it had been one hell of a Thursday. After Naya left, her mood was only put more into a damper as her boss told her she had to work this Saturday… which sucked because who on earth wanted to work weekends? But she agreed with it. Reese needed as much help as he could get lately with the sudden increase in customers. She didn't really mind in the end… after all, she was getting paid for the extra hours.

She was hoping to close up shop a little earlier today because once noon hit, the clouds decided to cry a cold, wet and miserable rain. It hadn't let up since. It meant Heather had to walk three miles in this horrible April weather to the last bus which she was hoping she could still catch.

She had already locked the door and turned off most of the main lights when she heard a startling banging against the window of their front door. Heather jumped in surprise as she squinted out to see an outline of a figure in the door way. Whether it was the dark, stormy weather or the fact that she was alone in a quiet coffee shop, Heather's heart began to pound furiously in her chest. Her senses heightened with adrenaline and fear.

"We're closed!" she yelled in a high pitched frightened voice. She hoped the person would leave her alone. But the shadowed figure continued to pound on the door. Heather turned around and found the closest thing to her: a tea kettle. She held her phone in her hand just in case she had to call Reese or the police or something.

As she made her way to the door cautiously she peered through the glass and realized from the small frame and cowering stature who it was. A small completely drenched version of Naya Rivera looked to Heather miserably, lower lip trembling from the cold. Heather's eyes widened and quickly tossed her tea kettle on the nearest table and pulled her keys from her pocket. She unlocked the door quickly, letting the poor, shaking Latina in.

"T-T-Thank, G-God… I-I d-didn't think you w-would still be h-here…" Naya stammered horribly.

"God! You're soaked! Here sit down…" Heather helped the stiffened girl into the nearest chair. "I'll go get you some towels…"

She rushed off to the back.

"Thanks…"

"What happened?" Heather yelled from the back as she tossed all the clean towels they had over her shoulder and turned the heater on to full blast. She grabbed her huge puffy coat too in hopes that it would warm the freezing actress.

"F-Fucking, M-Mark…" was all Naya could mutter bitterly.

Heather came back quickly and helped Naya out of her wet, thin jacket, unable to take her horrible wandering eyes away from the sheer shirt underneath. It had been soaked through to the skin. She gulped at the sight of trembling curved, shapely muscles and cleavage before draping her coat over the girl's shoulders and layering towel after towel over her.

"What did he do? Did he hurt you?" Heather asked seriously and couldn't help but take Naya's chin in her hand to examine her face. Naya's trembling lips quirked into a smirk as she tried to chuckle.

"Look at y-you… all c-concerned over my w-well-being and we only met l-last week," Naya joked light-heartedly with her teeth chatter.

"I don't think now is the time for humor. Let's get you something warm," Heather lectured her as she picked up her discarded tea kettle. She went behind the counter and turned on the water boiler to make the girl some hot tea.

"Mmm… yes coffee sounds a-amazing…" Naya said as she sunk into the layers of warmth over her shoulders.

"No. No coffee for you. It's 10:40 at night. No way am I giving you caffeine at this hour. I'll make you some tea…"

Naya made a face, "God, I hate healthy s-shit…"

"Well, at least I know you're not dying or anything… You seem to be cracking jokes right and left."

"I'm fine really," Naya told her smiling as the sensation to her fingers returned.

"Nuh uh. I'm not letting you get sick."

Naya laughed, "Aw, h-how sweet of you."

"Hey, I'm only thinking of myself here. Santana's one of my favorite characters on Glee. If you get sick that means no Santana," Heather told her as she let the water boil and came back to sit next to Naya.

"Is she now? She hasn't really d-done much ya know…" Naya said amused.

"Are you kidding me? You get like the best lines…" Heather said, her ears tingeing pink.

"What a fan girl…" Naya said, "Shoulda seen it before."

"Oh God… see? That's why I didn't want to tell you," Heather joked and Naya smiled. The Latina rubbed at her reddening nose and she made cute little sniffling noise.

Naya tried rubbing her hands together to warm them however unsuccessfully when Heather asked, "May… May I?"

Heather offered out her open palms to Naya. She looked up to Heather's honest piercing blue eyes and couldn't help but trust her Latte Girl. She nodded and slipped her hands in between Heather's as the blonde began to work her magic, instantly warming them.

"So, crazy girl, why were you running out in the middle of the rain?"

"I told you… Mark…" Naya said bitterly.

"What did he do?"

"He was just being an asshole like normal… He was driving me back to his place…" Naya muttered. "I should never agree to anything he says… it's always turns out horrible."

Heather pursed her lips.

"We got into another argument about the whole break up thing this last summer. I got so pissed off that I jumped out on the side of the road and said I would rather walk in the fucking rain than stay one more second in his car…"

"You jumped out of his car?" Heather exclaimed. Naya chuckled.

"No… I made sure he pulled over to the side, Ashley…" Naya said shaking her head.

"Oh… right…" she was such a blonde sometimes.

"I can't believe him… I mean how could he not think I wouldn't be angry at him after he went and told just about everyone that _I_ keyed his car? Do I look like the jealous ex-girlfriend type?" Naya yelled out angrily.

Heather chuckled, "Well… your attitude right now is telling me otherwise…" This earned a glare from Naya, "I'm sorry. Go on."

"I didn't just to let you know…"

"I never said you did."

"Well, you're looking at me as if you don't believe me…"

"I do believe you. I'm on your side. I told you how I felt about Mark this morning," Heather told her quietly working her palms over Naya's freezing knuckles. Naya reveled in the smoothness of the blonde's velvety, creamy skin over her own.

"It was the other girl…" Naya told her softly. "The one he was sleeping with when we were dating. The one who also thought her and Mark were exclusive."

Heather simply looked at Naya with knowing eyes, allowing the girl to talk.

"You would think she's a crazy bitch too if you met her," Naya chuckled and Heather laughed with her.

"Do you want me to beat her ass? Because I bet you I could totally take her," Heather offered.

Naya smiled, "That's thoughtful of you, but I can fight my own battles."

Heather loved that about Naya.

"You deserve a lot better than him ya know?" Heather caught herself saying. She couldn't help it. Heather looked up into Naya's mocha chocolate eyes, "I think you're a hundred times better than him… and a whole lot prettier."

Naya smiled.

"You and everyone else."

"I'm just saying…"

"Yeah, well you're one to talk… That Louisiana kid doesn't treat you any better…" Naya mentioned not forgetting this other man who had the blonde's heart. She couldn't help but have a bitter distaste for him, even if she didn't know him personally.

"That's a different story…" Heather said quietly.

"Not really. He's an idiot for letting someone like you go… It's hard to find genuine people nowadays…" Naya told her truthfully.

"He just… doesn't really know what he wants right now, that's all. When he figures it out, I'll be there," Heather concluded. "Besides, do you expect a coffee girl like me with absolutely nothing to do much better than him?"

Naya looked to her with a creased eyebrow and quickly answered, "Yes."

Heather remained quiet not knowing what to say to such a quick response.

"You never told me that before…"

"What?"

"The reason you wait around for him… you think you have to settle…" Naya questioned although it sounded much more like a fact.

"No…I…" Heather began, but the more she thought about it the more she knew Naya was right. But she didn't want to get into the depths of her relationship with Taylor, it pulled at too many sensitive heartstrings. "I wait for him because… because I love him…" her voice had the slightest waver and Naya caught it.

"You don't sound so sure about that."

"And you sound like you already know all my answers before I even say them. So maybe I shouldn't even say anything at all?" Heather couldn't help but retort. She let go of Naya's hands and got up to the sound of the kettle squealing. Naya immediately missed the warmth.

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to intrude like that. I know it's not my place," Naya softly apologized. "I always have a tendency to try and figure people out too much…"

"It's okay… Let's just forget about it," Heather sighed, pouring the hot water in a tall mug while Naya slumped slightly in her chair. "So, what kinda girl are you?"

"Hm?"

Heather turned back to Naya with three tea bags in her hand, "Floral, fruity, or warm cozy?"

Naya smiled, "Warm cozy I guess…"

Heather gave a nod, "Thought so."

Naya smiled a little wider.

Heather busied herself with making her tea.

"So, Santana? Really?" Naya finally brought back up.

Heather laughed, "Yeah, why not?"

She turned around with her mug of tea and walked over to Naya. She took the mug from her hands thankfully and peered down at the light amber colored liquid, ambivalent to the flavor of tea. She scrunched her nose at the herbal and probably healthy aroma and sighed as she looked up to Heather.

"I guess I just didn't pin you for one to go for the bitchy types…"

Heather shrugged, "It's good television…. I love the sarcastic, brutally honest people… One of my best friends is like that."

"Who's that?"

"My roommate."

"Ah… you talk about her often…" Naya concluded.

"Yeah… she's the best," Heather replied. "She cracks me up all the time, I swear… You would like her…"

"Hopefully one of these days I'll get to meet her," Naya commented hopefully.

"Uh… yah… Maybe…" Heather said, realizing that that would require Naya knowing where she lived… it would also mean she would have to tell Ashley she was using her name.

"We… we should hang out," Naya suggested, slightly timid. She took a swig of her tea and was surprised to find how smooth it felt and how the liquid warmed her chest quickly. It was the perfect blend of caramel and something extra Naya couldn't put her finger on.

"This is actually pretty good by the way," she added taking another large sip, but Heather's attention was on the first statement.

"But we are hanging out. We technically hang out every day," Heather stated matter-of-factly.

"I know… I meant, like… away from all the coffee grinds and cranky morning people. Just me and you," Naya said taking another sip. Now she could kinda see why Dianna and Lea drank this stuff so much. But still, coffee will always be her go to…

"Oh," Heather replied, shyly smiling to herself.

"Yah, I mean it's only if you want to. You can think about it," Naya simply told her as if she didn't care. Of course she did.

"Sure, I'll think about it," Heather chirped.

"What did you put in this?" Naya inquired disappointed that her cup was almost empty.

"It's just one of our blends that we package ourselves. Did you like it?"

"Yah, I love it… and that's saying something because I hate tea."

Heather smiled brightly, "I thought you would. I love matching people's flavors. It's one of the best things about this job…"

"You have flavors for everyone?"

"Of course. A cup of coffee says a lot about a person…" Heather told her with a smirk.

"Please do explain," Naya gestured with her hand.

"Well, you've got the simple cup of joe who are normally your hard blue-collar workers. They like it strong, dark, and super-hot. It's a little sad watching them just chug along to make ends meet. Then you've got your sugar induced Frappuccino's… normally you find that teenagers or kids order them. And for the adults that do, they're really just kids at heart," Heather explained. Naya smiled warmly, leaning her cheek in her hand as she watched her talk animatedly. "Then you've got your espresso drinkers… like you."

Naya waited, but Heather didn't continue, "And?"

Heather hesitated before answering.

"Well, normally espresso drinkers are the type of people who are rather unpredictable…" Heather told her, looking deep into her eyes. "They like to make rash decisions and take daring risks to make their lives more exciting."

Naya mulled over her answer in silence, simply cocking her head to the side and tracing her eyes over the blonde's honest features.

"But that's all just my speculation. It doesn't mean it's true. I just like to make little stories for myself when people come in. As you can tell, I've got a short attention span and sometimes it can get pretty slow around here… I've gotta entertain myself."

Heather chuckled at herself and Naya smiled content with hearing her stories.

"I always love to add something a little extra in each cup. In my mind, I create my own recipe for each person so that their flavor is special, unique. Because everyone is… I think it gives them a little more excitement in their day, if only for a moment," Heather reasoned. "It makes me feel like I'm making some sort of difference, if I could just get them to smile… only for a second. When I do, I feel like I've done my job."

"Cute…" Naya said simply.

"Yah, I know I am," Heather said back swinging her legs underneath her chair. Naya rolled her eyes.

"So what's my flavor then?"

"I can't tell you!" Heather exclaimed taken aback.

"Why not? It's _my_ flavor isn't it?" Naya said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, but… it's a secret… It will ruin what makes your coffee so special," Heather told her, Naya's face softened. "If I tell you maybe you'll stop coming back for more… the mystery will be gone."

Naya sat quietly for a minute, examining the blonde girl across the table from her. There was something about her… something that made her feel so much at ease. And that smile… she knows she's seen that smile and those piercing blue eyes before. But sitting there cold and shaking, with her Latte Girl so tenderly caring for her, she suddenly realized it didn't matter. She didn't want to try and figure her out so desperately to every fine detail anymore. She liked who she was. She was genuine… and she could trust genuine. Whoever she reminded her of, it didn't matter. She liked her Latte Girl because… like her coffee, she made her feel special.

"I don't think the coffee is the only thing bringing me back these days…" Naya told her softly. Heather blushed under her warm mocha brown eyes.

They sat together for a moment of comfortable silence. They simply enjoyed each other's company, realizing that they didn't even need words to fill the void.

"Caramel? Isn't it?" Naya asked as she downed the rest of her cup.

"You're getting better," Heather chuckled. "But that's not all of it…"

"Hm… chocolate?" Naya guessed.

Heather laughed, "You are so off."

"Just tell me," Naya husked as she leaned closer to Heather. Captured by her warm eyes, her warm breath, and her warm body, Heather couldn't help herself but reply.

"Buttercream and vanilla…" she whispered softly. She was so close… scarily close. Heather could see the flecks of fiery red in her eyes and how her nose was tingeing a cute pink. Not to mention those beautiful laugh lines at the corners of her mouth and eyes. She was beautiful….

Naya smiled.

"So I'm caramel, buttercream, vanilla flavored?"

"Well… I don't know… you probably taste a lot more delicious than that…" Heather said dreamily as she stared at Naya's pouty lips which smiled wider. Heather blinked and shook her head out her reverie, realizing how embarrassing she just sounded.

"Uh well… that's only your tea flavor… you suck for weaseling it out of me," Heather pouted as she leaned back away from Naya in a safer zone.

Naya chuckled mischievously, "Well, you made it easy."

Heather rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest as Naya eyed her up and down again.

"Oh fuck!" Naya exclaimed as she looked at her phone. "It's nearly midnight!"

"Oh…" Heather said in response as if snapping out of a dream she looked up at the clock. Indeed, it was 11:49 PM.

"God… I'm so so sorry I kept you here," Naya said getting up and sending all the towels to the ground which she hastily bent down to pick up.

Heather laughed, "It's okay, Naya."

"No… You work so hard. You _deserve_ to go home and get a proper night's sleep."

"Really, Naya it's okay… The bus probably would have taken long anyways, and by the time I got home Taylor…" Heather wandered, she didn't let herself finish. But Naya seemed to understand and nodded her head indifferently although Heather could feel the mood shift ever so slightly.

"The walk back to the lot isn't too far… We can go get my car and I'll give you a ride to your house," Naya concluded as she folded up the towels. "It's the least I can do."

Heather's eyes widened at a predicament in the making.

"Uh… that's really okay… but I don't mind the walk."

"Ashley… are you kidding me?" Naya asked in disbelief, "Did you see the weather outside?"

Heather pursed her lips. She didn't have to see, she could just hear it. The rain was still pounding furiously against the pavement outside. She sighed in defeat. It would be a miserable walk. Seeing that she won the battle, Naya smiled contentedly.

"Good then," Naya gave Heather's jacket back to her. "Let's get going."

* * *

><p>The outline of two women huddled under a small yellow umbrella was silhouetted by the glow of the street lamps. No matter how quickly they walked to the set and how closely they stood under the protection of Heather's umbrella, the two were absolutely drenched by the time Naya unlocked her car. Heather knew they were just asking for pneumonia.<p>

Still, the both of them laughed at how ridiculous their situation was; running like fools in the rain.

"Well… at least my baby doesn't need to be taken to the car wash anytime soon," Naya commented about her large maroon Range Rover. Heather sat contentedly in the roomy, leather scented and very expensive car. She's never had the luxury of driving her own car in L.A. Although, she knew having one would definitely be helpful… especially in situations like these.

"So, where to?" Naya asked as she buckled her seatbelt and started the engine. Dashboard Confessional wafted gently from the stereo and Heather smiled at the familiar tune.

"Ashley?" Naya asked, snapping Heather from her reverie.

_Shit…_ she thought as she realized she would have to tell Naya where she lived. Not that this was a big deal or anything. It was just that the more personal information she gave to the curious Latina, the more she felt vulnerable and worried about her impending lie.

"Uh… just head north on Melrose…" Heather told her softly. Naya reversed her car and pulled out of the parking lot.

Naya started up simple conversation about work and the show, leaving Heather smiling in silence as the girl talked animatedly. She loved how Naya was typically always excited about her job. She knew the Latina truly did love her profession.

"Favorite episode, go!" Naya all but shouted at Heather over the music now blaring Britney Spears from her satellite radio. She was smiling happily as she roared down the empty streets of Hollywood with Heather's directions.

"Oh God! I don't know! Don't do this to me! They're all good!" Heather giggled.

"Come on… you have to have a favorite."

"Well… The Madonna episode was pretty awesome…" Heather recalled as she remembered Naya in all lavender, rolling around in that bed and singing all sultry like. Heather blushed, "But I don't know."

Naya smiled cheekily, "Yah, that's one of my favorite ones too."

Naya chatted about the inconsequential details of the cast and set to Heather who happily listened.

"And Kevin…" Naya laughed out loud at the thought of him, "You would absolutely _love_ Kevin. It's his goal in life to make me laugh every time that stupid recording light goes on. I prohibit myself from sitting next to him on set."

Naya shook her head and Heather smiled at her.

"God that kid… he'll always be my bee for life. Oh and Dianna… I swear she's like my anchor. She's such a sweet heart, but a little minx at the same time."

Heather remembered faintly of her short interaction with the angelic blonde. The actress of virtuous, uptight cheerleader seemed to be genuinely comforting in real life.

"You all seem so close."

"Yeah… we definitely are. I can't get enough of them… even when they annoy the shit out of me. Kinda disgusting how obsessed we are with each other," Naya chuckled. Heather smiled sadly, realizing what she was missing. She wondered silently to herself of what could have been if she had been casted as the third cheerleader. She hated herself for doing so, but that hopeful side of her always seemed to shine with Naya around.

"What are you thinking?" Naya asked as she peeked over at Heather's dazed look.

"Oh nothing… Just thinking of how lucky you are. Doing what you love… It's great," Heather said with a genuine smile and Naya smiled back.

"Yeah, it is… Don't go thinking you're job isn't important though. I needs my coffee in the morning… If I don't get it I'm one unhappy bitch."

Heather laughed.

About ten minutes later, Naya pulled up to Heather's house. The Latina peered out at the quaint little place. She smiled approvingly.

"Well, this is me. Thanks again," Heather said unbuckling her seat belt.

"Anytime."

Heather tossed her hood back over her head and looked to Naya whose hair was still curling cutely from the wetness of the rain. Heather smiled at her.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Sure thing."

With one last appreciative look, Heather opened the door and reopened her umbrella. She stepped out back into the pouring rain, but before closing the door she turned back to Naya and smiled to her brightly.

"Cinnamon!" Heather yelled over the pounding droplets.

Naya looked back at her inquisitively.

"Your flavor… I always add a little cinnamon to your latte," Heather said with that ever-growing smile. "Thought you would want to know."

Naya beamed at Heather brightly. Heather smiled back shyly and gave a small wave, wishing her a safe drive back home before closing the door. She began to walk up the pathway to her front door when heard splashing footsteps follow her and a light grasp around her wrist. She turned back around to see Naya looking up at her with those big brown eyes… There was something else besides the rain that was swimming in them. Heather couldn't quite discern what it was.

"Wait…" Naya called out to her. She then stopped and stared at Heather in silence not knowing why she called the blonde back. At her ridiculousness she laughed at herself, running a hand through her wet tangled hair.

"Yes?" Heather asked with a laugh.

"I don't remember what I wanted to say…" Naya replied smiling.

Heather laughed, "It's okay. Happens to me all the time."

Naya smiled before she finally she managed out, "Cinnamon? Really?"

Heather blushed, "Yeah… Cause you've got that extra spice, you know? It's unexpected, but once you get used to it, it's warm and familiar."

Heather reasoned out to her shyly. Naya beamed.

"Thank you," Naya said, "again. For tonight… It meant a lot."

"Of course. Just doing my job," Heather shrugged and then added with a shuffle of her feet, "and being a friend."

Naya's smile grew impossibly larger and before Heather knew what was happening, the smaller girl engulfed Heather into her arms. Slightly stunned, Heather simply stood there for a moment in Naya's warm embrace. The rain could have completely stopped for all she knew with Naya's wonderful arms holding her so gently. She smiled to herself quietly and reciprocated the notion of affection to her new friend. She rested her chin in the nook of Naya's neck as they held each other close under the pounding rain. Heather had never felt more complete holding the tiny wet girl in her arms like that… It seemed almost right to be hugging Naya, like her arms were always meant to do so.

As Heather felt Naya begin to break away, she was only further surprised when she leaned back up on her tip toes. Heather saw a brief glint in Naya's eyes and the biggest smile she had ever seen before as those lips pressed firmly against her cheek. Heather's eyes shot open in surprise. Her body tingled with a flood of warmth by the sensation of those soft lips on her frozen cheek. When Naya stepped back she looked up at Heather's twinkling blue eyes. Heather couldn't help as her lips twitched into a ridiculously large smile. Naya chuckled. She gave Heather's palm one final squeeze.

"Good night," Naya whispered. And with that she ran back to her car door, leaving Heather stunned in front of her house, completely caught in the rain.

Heather simply waved lamely as Naya pulled away from her street, leaving Heather smiling foolishly at herself. Naya _was _certainly magic. Heather loved the way she made her feel. Most importantly, she loved how Naya made her want to dance.

Heather found herself strolling around in the rain. Spinning and pirouetting down the street, happily getting soaked to the bone. Heather jumped up on light posts and even did some flips dangerously on the wet pavement, landing on her feet perfectly with a splash. She tossed her umbrella about with expertise as she tapped and splashed around with a Gene Kelly like style. She twirled on her toes, letting the rain fall freely on her smiling face. Naya oddly felt like a beacon. Heather didn't care how weird it was, her inspiration was back and she felt that her new found friendship with Naya was responsible for it. She hasn't been this happy in a long time. She felt like she could do anything.

She sang confidently up at the rumbling dark clouds above her and hummed that all too famous tune.

_Come on with the rain, I've a smile on my face._


	7. Part 1: Chapter 6

A/N: Wow... I can't believe how absolutely overwhelmingly fabulous all the comments have been thus far. I swear some of you are psychics and you're reading my mind. Everyone's feedback has really been so useful and believe me, I take every word you all say to heart. A few people had some questions (although I do understand they may have been for humorous purposes, I still felt I could answer):

PoppieJoy: There will be no deaths in this fic, I assure you... Naya won't kill Hemo, haha. They're in love after all! We'll see how they work over their conflicts.

Perv: When I decided the rating, I did mention first chapter that it's subsequent to change. I'm not too sure if I'll do any sexy times with the two, it depends on where the story goes. At the moment, there are no guarantees! (If you are looking for _some_ sexy times, I have little more mature moments in my other fic I Am The Liar and You Are The Saint if you are interested!)

defygravity79: You asked (as well as many) when Naya will find out who her Latte Girl really is... Well, it'll be some time, but really sooner than you think... ;)

If anyone has any questions, don't hesitate to ask! I love answering to your feedback so don't be shy. I would also love to give a quick shout out to some of those regular commenters who have been helping me out so much so far: Jac Lag, zayz, soulsaidin, LaurenKnight13, and many more... It's hard to list everyone, but your in-depth responses have been a great help to me. It's very much appreciated!

Also have to thank fossil_10 forever for being the best beta imaginable... Thanks for playing the name game with me, hon ;)

I have to say that this chapter doesn't have direct Heya interaction, but it definitely has some very important indirect interaction that I think you'll all enjoy. It will all very much set up what is going to happen next! Also, hope the names for certain characters sound appropriate, lemme know what you think! Thanks again for all your support! You guys are the best! Sorry for the long A/N, on with the chapter!

Disclaimer: This fic is RPF! I do not own anything, this is a complete work of fiction. I DO NOT know either of these women nor am I affiliated with Glee or its creators. I also do not own the song "Taylor, The Latte Boy," by Kristin Chenoweth which this fic is loosely based on. These two are not a couple… unfortunately.

**The Latte Girl  
>Chapter 6<strong>

Naya was sick… She sniffled her nose miserably and practically wore her sunglasses all morning to divert the sun away from heavy, puffy eyelids. Last night she just had to catch the worst cold imaginable. She felt it in her head, chest, throat… the aching pain was everywhere. She gave a very unflattering, heaving cough as she shuffled into her trailer. Naya didn't have enough time to make her daily visit to the Black Horse Café. She barely had enough time to brush her teeth, let alone get her coffee. She had just practically rolled out of bed to get on to set. Without her morning dose of caffeine and cheery smile from her Latte Girl, one could see that Naya Rivera was one unhappy camper.

She was blaming Mark… after her hair dresser pieced Naya into her Cheerio's costume like a helpless child, Telly led her over to the set. She already made a plan to stare daggers at Mark when she got there. Still… if she hadn't decided to take up Mark on his "offer" she would have never gotten stranded on the side of the road, she would have never made her journey back to the Black Horse Café, and she would have never had the most amazing night with her blonde coffee girl. She smiled weakly at the thought of her. Ashley would always lift her spirits considerably, and Naya knew if there was anything that was going to cure her intolerable sickness, it was the Latte Girl. She needed the girl's magical, healing elixir… her concoctions always warmed Naya's heart. She was going to use every last drop of energy left in her to get herself to that coffee shop by the end of the day.

Telly kindly led Naya into her plastic chair in the back of the choir room and tried to joke around with her to lift her spirits. Naya would laugh, but it came out strangled and she would end up choking on air. Telly tutted disapprovingly at Naya.

"You know sweetie, we've talked about it millions of times… Nothing good ever comes out of giving in so easily to the boys," Telly told her knowingly crossing his arms over his chest as he mocked Naya. She pouted and grimaced at him.

"I didn't… Just to make things clear," she rasped out to him in her barely there voice. "I wouldn't be sick if I had…"

She rubbed at her dripping nose.

"God, you are just one unsanitary hot mess right now…" Telly said putting his hands up and backed away as Naya coughed and sneezed loudly. He whipped out a bottle of hand sanitizer from his fanny pack and squeezed a large puddle of it in his palm. She leered at him from under her heavy eyelids.

"Tell me something I don't know. For once I don't want your unhelpful commentary…" she mumbled bitterly. "Your humor is not appreciated at the moment so leave me alone until I officially wake up."

Telly chuckled, knowing that when Naya got over her cold she'll feel bad for having said so. At this point in their relationship, they were pretty much comfortable saying anything without really offending the other. It was disgusting how much time they spend with each other… but Naya was addicted to Telly's humor, and Telly was addicted to Naya's spitfire attitude.

"I'll go get you some coffee from the lounge," he told her, tickling her ear like he always did, but Naya batted his hand away annoyed.

She made a very unattractive gargling noise before protesting.

"That stuff is like shit in a can…" she whined.

"Well… because it _is_ shit in a can…" Telly confirmed. "Sorry, hon. We don't have time to get you anything else. During your break will be the soonest."

Naya sighed and nodded in defeat. She needed to get herself to her blonde and fast… she would know the remedy for her sickness. Telly gave Naya one last pat on the shoulder and went off to tend to another errand.

The rest of the morning seemed to pass by Naya's barely functioning self. She could hardly stay awake and she knew by the pounding in her head that she was about to pass out at any second. She hadn't even really noticed that the rest of the choir room was filled with the rest of the cast and that they had already begun shooting. Naya's eyelids were getting heavier at the second and she felt her head nod off. Cory and Dianna who were sitting off to the other side of her were smirking at their costar's amusing state. While Ryan was reading over a few things with Matt during a small break, Cory slipped out his phone and snapped a quick picture of the sickly, sleeping Latina and snickered to Dianna who punched him in the shoulder. She gave him her evil glower from under her eyelashes which always seemed to soften the guys and Cory unwillingly deleted the photo from his phone. Dianna glanced back over to Naya worriedly, but before she could go over and see if she was alright Ryan called everyone to their places.

When they started rolling again, Naya was pretty much completely out of it. She was there, but she wasn't _really_ there. She could tell her redheaded counterpart, Alexis, was trying to help her out as she would give her the occasional polite nudge in the shoulder when Naya started to drift away. She smiled shyly when she awoke to meet those steel blue eyes. Naya simply nodded her thanks before the redhead would turn away and focus back on the scene on hand. Still, her mind was loopy and she swore she could hear a voice calling out her name. When the voice became louder and more impatient she furrowed her eyebrows and whipped her head up in alert.

"Naya!" Ryan shouted again curtly, hand rested on his hip and glaring at the actress. Naya blinked a few times and looked around. Everyone was looking to her. She tried to clear her voice.

"It's your line?" Ryan lectured her impatiently.

"S-Sorry…" she scratched out in a voice very unlike her own already husky voice. Everyone's eyes widened at the obvious change in pitch of her voice. It was three times deeper and rather unrecognizable. She tried to clear her throat again, but ended up hacking her shoulders in a painful coughing fit. Alexis patted her gently in the back to try and comfort the Latina.

Ryan sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "You're sick aren't you?"

"A little… but I'll be fine," she tried to say, but Ryan stopped her.

"You know, _you're_ not the one who's supposed to be sick… _Lea_," Ryan emphasized pointing to Lea who was standing in the front of the choir room, "is supposed to be sick."

Funny… what a coincidence that they were filming the Laryngitis episode. Naya rolled her eyes.

"I'm sorry… Believe me, I wasn't planning on getting sick, but unfortunately I got stuck in the middle of the rain last night," Naya pointed out angrily as she sent an evil glare over at Mark who was sitting in the opposite corner with his arms crossed over his chest. He huffed and rolled his eyes immaturely, but Naya saw that he felt guilty by the way his brow creased in that certain way. Mark wasn't all too hard to figure out.

Ryan sighed again, Naya swore the director and writer could be so overdramatic at times.

"We'll just have to skip over your lines for the day and do them next week. We will have to reschedule The Boy Is Mine number for next Wednesday then," he said to a nearby crew member who penciled in the change.

He looked back up at Naya who slumped in her plastic chair.

"Just try not to say anything… or disrupt the scene with your coughing. And someone put a little more makeup on her so she doesn't look so pasty. Her skin isn't doing well with the lighting," Ryan told her dismissively as the crew readied the scene again. Naya simply grunted in response as a stagehand came up on the risers with some foundation and blush to color her washed out cheeks.

Alexis glanced to Naya with a knowing look and gave her an apathetic, lopsided grin. Naya smiled weakly back and couldn't help but think that that type of smile on her lips didn't have the same effect as it would if it were on a certain blonde's lips. Naya sighed and gave another little sneeze before sniffling her nose again. Today was definitely going to be a long one… she couldn't wait to get herself over to the Black Horse Café and fast.

* * *

><p>By the time Ryan called for their lunch break, Naya thought she was one lung less than when she walked on to set this morning. Normally she had a pretty good immune system, so being this sick was really wearing her down. Before Naya could drag herself back over to her trailer to put on a few more layers than her short Cheerio's skirt and grab her keys to get her coffee, Ryan stopped her and told her to take an extended lunch. She was no use on set if all she could do was sniffle and sneeze in the background. He advised her to get some much needed sleep and that she would hopefully be usable later in the evening. She nodded solemnly and quickly made her way back to her trailer to her body's best capabilities.<p>

Once she got into her trailer she practically ripped off the red and white polyester from her body and piled layer over layer of clothing that was lying about. She was freezing down to the bone, her limbs physically shivering. Naya was in the processes of tugging her white Nike tennis shoe off, when she heard a soft knock on her door and a head of blonde locks pop in. Dianna looked to Naya's hopping self as she struggled to get her shoe off, her eyebrow rising in amusement. She let herself fully into the trailer, arms folded across her chest as she eyed Naya.

"What are you doing?" she finally asked, when Naya turned to her voice she rolled her eyes. She finally managed to yank her shoe off and tossed it to the side as she reached for her Ugg boot.

"You know there's a process when it comes to taking off shoes… first you have to untie the laces," Dianna joked.

"I'm kinda in a hurry," Naya rasped out and Dianna couldn't help but flinch by the unrecognizable sound of her scratchy voice.

"Uh huh… and where do you think you're going exactly?" the blonde inquired as she plopped herself down onto Naya's couch. The Latina sighed in annoyance. She was not in the mood for this.

"I'm just going to the café to pick up some decent coffee… didn't think I had to run it by you, _mom_," Naya said as she sat in front of her dresser to apply a little more something over her inflated eyes. So what if she wanted to look somewhat decent? Although she knew Ashley wouldn't care the least. A small smile twitched on her pouty lips at the thought. Dianna on the other hand was glaring at her reflection through the glass.

"You're going to the café? When you were just complaining how your body hurt so much you could barely even walk?"

"I exaggerated a little. So what?" Naya said indifferently.

"Oh no… I don't think so hon. I know what this is…" Dianna told her knowingly, getting up and standing behind Naya.

"I have absolutely no idea what you're implying, Dianna…" Naya sighed and couldn't help but cough a little. Dianna patted her on the back patiently until she got over her fit.

"Thank you…" she squeaked out.

"You very know what this is… You wouldn't be getting all dolled up if it were anything else."

Naya glared up at Dianna's reflection and lowered her lip-gloss in her hand.

"Dianna, I really don't know what you're talking about. All I do know is that I really need some caffeine in my system or I'm not going to be able to last one more minute here…"

Dianna rolled her eyes. She knew how her Latina friend got when she didn't get her morning coffee. But the blonde knew better… she knew there was something else that Naya wanted so desperately at that coffee shop and it wasn't a café latte.

"Sure… but I think your health comes first in this situation, honey. You need rest. This break was meant for you to sleep…"

Naya groaned. She wasn't a child and she didn't need anyone telling her what to do. She knew her body well enough to know when too much was too much. She spun around in her chair to look up at Dianna crossly. However, she had to pause ever so slightly at the rush of blood to her head. Dianna eyed her with that look that was annoying during times like these.

"I need to go! If I don't I'll miss…" Naya faltered as her thought wanders. She knew what she wanted to say, but she was a little scared to finish the statement and admit the fact that she had become scarily attached to her new friend.

"Hm?" Dianna inquired, looking down at Naya expectantly.

Naya put her face back on, not ready to crack just yet. She shook off the heavy thoughts in her head. Naya got up, but Dianna blocked her path to the door.

"I need my coffee Dianna."

"We have perfectly fine coffee here that someone can get you."

"God! I can't tolerate that shit in a can for the freakin' billionth time!" Naya nearly exploded, and Dianna's eyes widened in amusement. The blonde shook her head and sighed at her stubborn friend.

"Fine. If you really _need_ to go I won't stop you."

With that Dianna stepped aside and Naya happily ran to collect her bag. She reached for her keys on the little table next to the couch, but Dianna grabbed them first.

"But I'm driving you," she concluded with that smirk as she jingled Naya's keys in front of her face. Naya gave the blonde her best Santana glare yet.

"What? I think you're being a little ridiculous. I get that you're trying to do this to make me "feel better", but it's really doing the opposite. I'm not a child Dianna… nor am I dying. I've just got a little…" Naya ranted, but stopped midsentence as she started wheezing. Her ribs started to rack together as her chest heaved forward into another painful, phlegm filled fit.

Dianna smiled to her knowingly and went over to her friend and rubbed soothing circles into her back until Naya's coughing was under control. When she finished, she pouted her lips in defeat and Dianna chuckled at her friend.

"Mhm. Exactly my point. There is no way I'm letting you drive out alone while you're this sick. You might cough your way into a car accident for all I know."

Naya rolled her eyes as Dianna overdramatized her condition.

"Besides, I'm also coming with you to make sure you get something healthier than that ridiculous stuff you call coffee that you get in the morning from this place…"

"Hey!" Naya rasped out as Dianna helped her into her large, warm overcoat. "It's good! And the people said everything there is organic…"

"Hm… then maybe I'll like this place after all," Dianna said with a smirk as she opened the door.

"Wait… this… this doesn't mean that you're like… gonna go there all the time is it?" Naya asked her wearily, her eyes questioning the blonde who was smiling back at her like she had some sort of evil plan. Oh how Naya hated that scheming grin…

"We'll see. I wanna know what all the fuss is about that I hear from you," Dianna stated finally with a giggle as she walked down the steps of Naya's trailer. Naya stood in the middle of her trailer, beginning to worry if bringing Dianna to her little café was such a good idea.

"Dianna…" she said slowly and dangerously, trying to get the blonde's attention. _She better not do something stupid…_

"You coming or what?" Dianna called over her shoulder with a laugh.

Naya huffed as she chased after the blonde, barking out her name, "Dianna!"

* * *

><p>"Ah choo!" Heather sneezed into the crook of her elbow for what seemed like... well let's just say she lost count of how many around 9:30 AM. She sighed and rubbed her nose against her sleeve.<p>

"Gesundheit," the cheery old lady excused Heather as she rewrote her order down onto a cup.

"Thang'k g'you…" Heather replied almost inaudibly, her nose clearly congested. She turned to make the ladies order, when she saw Kaitlyn glaring at her with her arms folded across her chest. Heather furrowed her eyebrows at her while she sniffled her nose.

"Whud?"

"You're sick," Kaitlyn simply states matter-of-factly.

"I'm mot sick…"

"Go home, Heather."

"No… I'bm bine…" she sniffles out as she lifts the lever of the espresso machine.

Heather knew better… she as definitely sick. When she woke up this morning unable to breathe through her nose she immediately cursed herself for dancing out in the rain last night. In sickness and in health, she didn't care if God told her to stop dancing. With Naya by her side whispering words of encouragement in her ear, Heather felt like she could join a troupe as prestigious as the New York City Ballet Company.

She sighed. Heather never gets sick… never. Even when she did feel a little tickle in her throat, she would force herself to work anyways, just as she did this morning. Heather had only missed work a total of two times since she's started being a barista: when she had decided to take a three day weekend vacation back to Arizona and when she had to take her cat, Zack Morris, to an emergency visit to the vet. Other than those two times, Heather was a star employee; yet another trait that Kaitlyn mocks her for in disbelief. She always tells Heather she works too hard and that she should live a little outside the café…

"My ass you're not sick… you're practically dripping snot in everyone's drinks!" Kaitlyn exclaimed. Some of the customers looked up from their business over to Heather and eyed her wearily, crinkling their faces. Heather pursed her lips and scoffed at Kaitlyn.

"Will you just shud up and leb me work?" Heather hissed with her nasal tone that made Kaitlyn roll her eyes. Her ink painted arms went back to the working the coffee grinder.

"What did you do? Dance around in the rain last night or somethin'?" Kaitlyn joked.

Heather paused her movements as she was caught, "Guh…"

Kaitlyn looked to her blonde coworker in exasperation, "Are you kidding me? Dear lord… I never understand you dancers… You always have the craziest impulses."

"Whut's that subposed to mean?" Heather asked crossly.

"It means if you don't go home, I'll call boss and—"

"I said I'bm bine! Just leb me stay till noon to see if—"

"If Naya comes?" Kaitlyn finishes knowingly.

Heather falters. Her mouth open and closes a few times before she clears her throat and turns away from Kaitlyn's accusing eyes. She hated how obvious she was sometimes.

"No… I wanted to bait to see if it slows down around gere is all…" she made up quietly as she slowly dipped a tea bag in a hot mug of water.

Kaitlyn sighed and smiled knowingly at her friend.

Heather hated how just about everyone knew how much she liked Naya's company. Her feelings were so clearly worn on her sleeve that it was impossible to miss. But over the days spent at the coffee shop and especially after last night, she had to admit that she had fallen into Naya's hunter's trap willingly. She absolutely loved spending time with the Glee actress… her visits were the best part of her day, and at times the only part of her day that she looks forward to. She's become attached to this rhythm the two formed; it was comfortable yet unpredictable at the same time. It was already 11:09 though… she doubted the Latina would come. She probably had gotten home late last night since she had to drive Heather back to her place, so she could guess the brunette most likely woke up late or something this morning and didn't have time to stop by. Still, Heather was hoping she would come around sometime later during the day… she was willing to wait to see her, even feeling as miserable as she did. Naya had expressed her thanks for last night; she really wanted a chance to do the same.

Kaitlyn had walked up next to Heather quietly as she watched as her coworker was visibly off in her own world. Kaitlyn was pouring some of the boiling water the blonde had prepared into an empty coffee pot to make a new batch as smiled to friend.

"You know, Heather… it's okay if you like her…" Kaitlyn told her softly, her eyes still trained down at the task at hand. Heather looked over to Kaitlyn with a blank expression.

"I… I don't know…" she simply replied quietly, a shy smile forming on her lips at the subject. "I mean… yah I do like her… but I'bm mot so sure it's the way you're thinking."

"Oh, I think it is…" the knowing brunette told her as she bumped the blonde's hip with her own. Her words may have sounded sharp to some, but Heather knew the girl was being sincere with what she said. Heather smiled appreciatively at what she was trying to do. But… she was wrong. Sure she's played with the idea in her head briefly… but it was only briefly. She had to be logical with herself. There was no way she could feel _that_ way for someone like Naya, let alone within the time span they've interacted together.

"It isn't…" Heather finally said firmly as her eyes locked with Kaitlyn's knowing stare. "Really... I mean it. How could I? We literally jusb met lasb week."

"So? That doesn't mean anything. I met Jeremy on my twenty-first birthday at some random bar and I never thought I would see him again. He found me on Craigslist the next day, we talked, he asked me out, and we started dating about three days later… We've been together ever since then," Kaitlyn justified.

Heather cocked her head to the side in thought. She had a point… the two did meet and fall for each other fairly quickly, and surprisingly they have been adorably happy for almost two years now. Heather nodded to Kaitlyn. Sure, it was obviously possible, but it didn't mean that every story was the same. But, this was _Naya Rivera_ they were talking about. Heather sighed. Sometimes it takes a little longer to get to that "happily ever after" if it is even ever meant to be in the first place...

Heather shook her head at herself and turned back to Kaitlyn with a playful smile on her lips, "Craigslist? Really?"

Kaitlyn rolled her eyes.

"I was going through a rough patch during that period of my life, okay?"

Heather giggled. Kaitlyn scoffed and picked up the now ready freshly brewed coffee.

"That's aside from the point… I'm just saying that it's okay, Heather," Kaitlyn told her seriously and the blonde bashfully smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "And don't take yourself out of the race just because you _think_ you're not "good enough"."

Kaitlyn air quoted and with that she took her pot to make her rounds around the café for anyone who wanted refills. Heather smiled gratefully at her caring friend.

"You're the best Kaitlyn," Heather called out to her.

"Uh huh, preachin' to the choir, hon. Just saying in case you needed someone to tell you that…"

Heather smiled quietly to herself. It was true… sometimes it's nice to hear someone tell you that it's all okay when most people don't think it is. She grabbed a couple nearby napkins and blew her nose quickly before washing her hands again to take the tea she just prepared to her customer. She politely set the order in front of the old lady from earlier and gave her a complimentary blueberry and lemon scone. The lady thanked her and made a little small talk with Heather cheerfully. She sent the lady her signature genuine grin, happy to have brightened someone's mood today.

With that she slipped behind the counter to make her last drink of the day, deciding to go home early for some much needed rest and contemplation.

* * *

><p>Naya felt like her cold couldn't get any worse... Little did she know that Dianna was out to prove her wrong as the blonde added a massive migraine to the list of discomforts Naya was encountering today. She had seriously never met someone who could drive so slow and be unable to figure out how to work a Range Rover. Naya didn't think it was that it was difficult at all to drive her car… Leave it to Dianna to fall under the typical female stereotype of women not being able to mix with car mechanics. Dianna on the other hand thought this whole situation was the most amusing thing in the world. The sick Latina was seriously contemplating how much energy it would take out of her to punch the girl square in the nose and hammer her foot on the gas pedal.<p>

When the two Glee cheerleaders walked in to the Black Horse Café, Dianna examined the facility with a raised eyebrow; taking in every little dent and scratch embedded in the old place. She was surprised someone like Naya would like a place like this… To be honest, this kind of café was the type she would normally find herself in back in San Francisco. She quietly approved, but appearance wasn't the test… She eyed the place for the distinct blonde Latte Girl Naya had become so fond of. However, the only one behind the counter when they came up to the register was a short pixie-haired cut girl. She made a side glance to Naya and could see the evident disappointment in her eyes.

When Heather left, things got a little more quiet and Kaitlyn was thankful… she liked it when the place wasn't so busy so she could sneak in a little of her studies during slow moments. But as she lifted her head to the jingling door, she almost laughed out loud. Naya Rivera _would_ walk in just when Heather decided to take her advice and go home for the day. She tried to contain her amusement as the regular customer and her new blonde acquaintance came up to order.

"Hi, um… Kaitlyn…" Naya said slowly, and Kaitlyn raised her eyebrow, surprised the star remembered her name. She guessed she would give her kudos for that.

"You're late today," Kaitlyn simply says with a chuckle and Naya's face breaks into a smile. Kaitlyn examined the blonde behind her which she recognized from the TV show as well. The new customer puzzled her brow at the Latina in slight curiosity with her evident change in demeanor. "I see you're bringing in new customers? How nice of you to spread word of our little business."

"Yeah… Dianna here desperately wanted to be my personal driver for the day since she cares so much about my health all of a sudden…" Naya said sarcastically as she rubbed her nose a little. Dianna rolled her eyes as she continued to examine the menu overhead.

"Is that right?" Kaitlyn asked, putting two and two together.

"Yeah, little congested from last night's weather…"

Kaitlyn chuckled, trying to contain her snorts behind her hand. Naya furrowed her eyebrows at the shorter brunette's reaction. Kaitlyn shook her head knowingly at her blonde friend who was currently absent from this absolutely amusing conversation.

"What a coincidence? Ashley's sick too."

Dianna's head snapped down at the two in front of her when she heard this new found knowledge. She studied the Latina who took a nervous side glance back at her and couldn't help, but smirk at the whole situation. Naya rolled her eyes, knowing _exactly _what Dianna was thinking.

"Yeah… bummer…" Naya simply mumbled. "I had some, uh… car trouble last night and knew she was here… So she helped me out."

"Oh I bet she did…" Dianna giggled under her breath. Naya, catching the comment, clenched her jaw and feigned a smile at the barista in front of her, really wishing it was a different one.

"We both must of gotten sick from the rain…" she concluded.

"Right."

Naya chewed her lower lip in a brief moment of awkward silence.

"So, is she—?" Naya began, but Kaitlyn interrupted as she took her Sharpie out from her apron.

"You just missed her. Like literally just missed her… she left probably fifteen minutes ago to take the rest of the day off."

Naya's shoulders slouched slightly in disappointment.

"Oh…"

"Believe me… you didn't want to be near her, she was sneezing on everything," Kaitlyn waved about the coffee house with her hands. Naya smiled weakly.

"Yeah… you're probably right…" Naya said, although knew she wouldn't of cared if snot was freely flowing out of her nose, she still would have wanted to see her Latte Girl.

"So what can I get for you?" Kaitlyn asked politely to the distant Latina.

"Just medium caramel latte," she told her fishing out her wallet.

"Naya, seriously? It's noon and you're ordering that?" Dianna spoke up in disbelief.

"Agron, you almost wrecked my car today! You have absolutely no say in this!" Naya spun on her, her eyes darting at her dangerously. Dianna just rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. When Naya turned back around, Kaitlyn was chuckling again and shaking her head knowingly. Naya furrowed her eyebrows at the way the barista was acting.

"Just one second…"

Naya watched curiously as the auburn haired girl turned back behind the counter to fetch something. She faintly heard her mumble, "I swear… That girl…"

_"It's just in case…"_

_ "Oh yah, you definitely don't like her in that way at all…" Kaitlyn tutted with her arms folded across her chest as she watched the blonde move about. Heather added the perfect amount of whipped cream and a light sprinkle of cinnamon. She smiled brightly in satisfaction at her creation. _

_ "Whatever… It's neither here nor there. If she doesn't come, then just throw it out… if she does, tell her it's on me," Heather told her friend happily with a soft knowing smile as she handed her the steaming cup. _

Kaitlyn came back and placed a medium sized lidded coffee cup in front of Naya. Naya looked to the cup and then back up to Kaitlyn, still confused on what was going on. Kaitlyn shook her head and laughed out again.

"I'm pretty sure this girl has a sixth sense or something… But, leave it to Hea-Ashley to know our number one customer would come around," Kaitlyn all but chuckled out.

Naya smiled to herself as she took the cup off the counter gingerly. Rotating it in her hand she noticed a small note written in Sharpie with hand writing that Naya had all but memorized by now.

_ Naya,_

_I never got to say thanks. I had a great time getting caught in the rain with you. Enjoy your cup of unpredictability for the day!_

It was signed with a simple winking smiley face, which caused Naya to chuckle lightly at the girl's undeniable kindness. She was sweeter than the caramelized sugar blended perfectly in her cup of coffee. Her heart was strangely beating faster as she thought about last night with her Latte Girl. Their relationship was growing so quickly. It was surprising and rather unusual, but it made Naya irresistibly happy. When she looked up, she immediately wiped off her smitten expression off of her face as both Dianna and Kaitlyn were watching her reaction with raised eyebrows and smirking lips. Naya rolled her eyes and decided she didn't care that she looked ridiculous. She let her smile stretch wide and big.

"Oh!" she realized she needed to pay as she took her wallet from her purse.

"Don't worry about that," Kaitlyn stopped her and Naya looked up to gentle, smiling eyes. "It's already been paid for."

Naya all but smiled, knowing too well that Ashley _would_ pay for her latte. She should have guessed it… Naya stepped aside for Dianna to order off the menu which she was sure was some sort of super healthy, organic tea that would make her car smell funky for a few days. She stood off to the side as she took a small sip of her medicine. The liquid easily seeped down her torn and scratched throat, seemingly repairing those wounds. It may have been a little lukewarm, but Naya didn't care. She smiled at the familiar, cozy taste that only her Latte Girl could give to her. Who ever said coffee is unhealthy? Naya thought otherwise… The perfectly crafted espresso drink was definitely curing her sickness. She looked back down at the endearing little note and another smile crept to her lips. She guessed right. She knew her Latte Girl would make her feel better.

"Would you like me to warm it up a bit?" Kaitlyn asked, snapping Naya slightly from her dreamlike state. "It's been sitting out for a while."

"No, that's alright. It's perfect."


	8. Part 1: Chapter 7

A/N: Hello all! I apologize for the slight delay with this chapter. I know I have been pushing them out pretty frequently due to a huge surge of inspiration, however, life did catch up to me. If it is any compensation, this chapter is a longer one. I didn't really intend it to be because it's mainly a link to the next chapter, but I got a little carried away with the dialogue.

This chapter has an important phone call in it… It was hard for me to capture the images I had in my head onto paper. So imagine it sorta like a movie, cutting back and forth between two different scenes. Hope you guys can understand what's going on. Anyways… This one may also seem a little slow because I go through some past history with old friendships; I wanted to do my best capturing those relationships without sounding redundant, hope I accomplished that.

Thank you again for all the support everyone has given to me so far. I love you all, seriously! It's fantastic to finally make people laugh and smile opposed to the rather more solemn toned comments with my other fic at times. It's definitely refreshing and I'm happy that everyone is enjoying my versatility! Knowing people are reading from places as far as Switzerland? It just baffles me and I feel so grateful to all of you.

Also, I LOVE everyone's questions! I read every single one and truly have thought about what you are asking and I have, as well, gone deeper into the story to try and answer them. To not further take away from this long awaited chapter, I will answer your questions at the end. I encourage people to continue asking questions and don't hold back on feed back! I really do try to cater to you readers!

Quick thanks to PoppieJoy because after the comment you left me, it cracked me up so I decided to use it as a little inside joke in this chapter. Hope you catch it and you don't mind!

Sorry for the long A/N! Thanks for all the support! Fossil_10, you know I love ya babe :) Enjoy!

Disclaimer: This fic is RPF! I do not own anything, this is a complete work of fiction. I DO NOT know either of these women nor am I affiliated with Glee or its creators. I also do not own the song "Taylor, The Latte Boy," by Kristin Chenoweth which this fic is loosely based on. These two are not a couple… unfortunately.

Warning: Also, if you weren't aware already… there is profanity in this fic. Just putting a warning just in case

**The Latte Girl  
>Chapter 7<strong>

Dianna Agron has been friends with Naya for about a little over a year now. She wasn't going to lie… their friendship wasn't so immediate like her bond with some of the other cast members like Lea. On their very first day on set together, Dianna had been weary of the brunette's reclusiveness. She was guarded, stern, and seemed to only befriend the more masculine side of the cast and crew. By all means, she was never rude, but she kept her distance. However, Dianna had a gift when it came to people. She could see through any extensive amount of armor and defense barriers a broken person has built up. Her free-spirited kindness and openness to all types of people helped her seep through those tiny cracks of Naya's exterior. Over the first few weeks, Dianna was able to work her out of her shell and saw the brighter, gentler side of the actress. Since then, they became impossibly close. Naya entrusted Dianna with something she feared to show to anyone: her feelings. And Dianna, being so honest and understanding, willingly accepted every flaw and trouble Naya deemed as imperfections.

Dianna Agron has been friends with Naya for about a little over a year now, which was enough time for her to know that look in those brown eyes… True, she had only seen it once before, but that glowing flame is a hard one to forget. Her brown eyes were shining with such a calmness and serenity that it threw Dianna off in surprise. They were so much as smiling at her… With that she knew her friend was certainly falling hard and fast.

She watched Naya quietly with an unknown smile on her lips as the two sat in the parked Range Rover. The brunette was sipping her latte contentedly and letting her eyes drift out of the passenger window. She hadn't even noticed that Dianna hadn't started the car yet and that they sat in a silence that any passerby would think odd. The blonde squinted her eyes at Naya as she thought to herself. Naya had been rather unfortunate when it came to love… that's why the girl was always so cold when the warm, fuzzy emotion hung so ever palpable in the air. She never let it come close enough to sink in to her heart, thinking if she did the heartbreak would only be more painful. Dianna knew all this.

But as she observed her friend today, she couldn't help but wish the girl would defy her natural instincts and go after this Latte Girl she was so intrigued by. She was obviously kind enough to help Naya last night when she had her "car trouble" and she was thoughtful enough to go out of her way and make the brunette's morning coffee even with the chance of her not coming. It had to mean something… Dianna wanted to help her friend. She deserved happiness in every form. She smiled to herself and nodded as she deviated a quick plan in the back of her head.

Naya finally realizing the eerie silence turned to Dianna who had the key in her hand hovering midway to the ignition. The blonde had an odd, coy smile on her lips as she was looking to Naya with a raised brow. Naya crinkled her face at Dianna. There's always a scary uncertainty that would loom in your stomach when you see a smile like that on Dianna Agron's lips. It meant that she was up to something…

Naya started growing uneasy at her friend's unidentifiable expression, "What's up with you?"

Dianna's smile just got wider, which really started to freak Naya out.

"Did they put some funky herbal tea leaves in your drink or somethin'?" Naya asked the quiet blonde nervously.

"No. It's nothing. I forgot something," Dianna said unbuckling her seatbelt and reopening her door, "I'll be right back."

With that she slipped out of Naya's Range Rover, leaving her unable to utter a word out to the blonde. She sat stupidly in her leather seat, confused as ever. She pouted as she nervously thought what Dianna was setting out to do. She could only suspect it was to cause trouble. Sure she trusted Dianna. She trusted the girl with her life… but in situations like these she couldn't help, but feel like Dianna was doing something back in that coffee shop that Naya did not want her to meddle in. Her coffee shop was like her secret, safe fortress; much like a child's tree house. She could go there any time she wished, knowing her Latte Girl would be waiting there; willing to give her some peace or advice whenever she needed it. It was sacred to her… she fidgeted at the thought of someone else invading her territory. Naya contemplated whether or not she should get up and chase out after her blonde, devious friend.

Before she could make a decision, Dianna popped the door back open and flopped fluidly into the driver's seat. She spent about five minutes back in the Black Horse Café and Naya worried her brow at what damage the blonde could have done in those five minutes. Naya eyed her every move dangerously as she buckled her seat belt and stuck the key in the ignition. The girl's face was unreadable. Most of all, she wasn't making eye contact with Naya. That detail made her worry the most. While Dianna was trying to figure out how to shift Naya's Range Rover into reverse, the copper skinned girl finally spoke up.

"What did you forget?" she asked sternly.

Dianna finally looked up at locked eyes with the brunette. When she did that smile returned to her lips. Oh how Naya permanently hated that smile… it always left her fucking guessing and she loathed feeling unsure of herself.

"Oh, I just went back for some sugar," Dianna chirped lightly and craned her neck back to view the rear window. "Now how in the world do you reverse this tank without hitting anything?"

Naya scoffed and looked ever more pointedly at Dianna. She knew the blonde well enough to know that she hardly ever put sugar in anything. It was just like her obsession with substituting butter out of every dish she made when she cooked. Naya baffled at how the blonde could live without essential ingredients such as these, but then again this was Dianna… she was a pretty hardcore health freak.

"I find that extremely hard to believe."

Dianna snapped her head back to Naya, piercing her with those hazel green eyes.

"Honest. I really did get sugar for my tea…"

Naya eyed her disbelievingly, making Dianna sigh. She picked up her cup from the holder and offered it to Naya who cringed and backed away from the drink as the atrocious smell emanated to her sniffling nose.

"Here, try it if you don't believe me," Dianna told her confidently.

"I think I'll pass," the brunette mumbled and Dianna rolled her eyes at her friend.

She turned back to her trying task at hand and began to slowly back out from their parking spot at an old folk's pace. Only when they safely made it out of the parking lot did Naya speak again.

"You never use sugar…" she mumbled again almost inaudibly. Dianna snickered and shook her head.

"I'm not lying you know."

And Naya did know. The brunette sighed in defeat. Dianna never once lied to the defensive girl knowing how sensitive she was to people misleading her. She brought her peach oolong tea to her lips. She hummed contentedly at the smooth taste the blend had; she found that pleasing as it was pretty hard for oolong to taste anything but bitter. She was happily surprised when the café carried the blend, not many places she's been to did. It was true, Dianna really did go back for sugar to put into her tea. However, she did go back for one more thing that she approvingly obtained from the brunette coffee barista still behind the counter. The item was tucked safely in the pocket of her coat. She smiled knowingly at the road ahead of her. Her plan was set to move forward.

* * *

><p>When Ashley came back home, she couldn't be more excited that it was Friday. She was hoping to drag Heather out for a night of much needed recklessness at their favorite bar with their favorite cocktails… her blonde roommate really needed to get out more often. It was kinda depressing seeing her act like such a responsible adult when Ashley had only known her as being a carefree youth. She asks her to come out with her practically every weekend, but Heather would always be so drained from work. Ashley knew her coffee barista roommate worked such ridiculously long hours. She can't really blame her when Heather ends up just snoring away on the couch surrounded by cartons of takeout food.<p>

Ashley was trying to carry three bags of groceries, all of them the size and weight of Zack Morris, while simultaneously trying to kick open the door… Yup, take her genius mind to think she could take everything in from her little scooter in one trip. She was surprised when she didn't hear Heather bound down the stairs and laugh in her face as she tried to carry in their weekend junk food. Ashley was only greeted by Heather's extremely fat cat weaving and rubbing against her legs. He was only making things harder.

"Shoo! Zack, stop it!" she hissed.

When she finally won her battle with the door she listened carefully and heard the faint sound of the television in the living room. She puzzled her brow.

"Heather?"

She only got a disgruntled groan in response.

"Hey, you lazy biatch! Help me with the groceries!" she shouted over to her.

She received another throaty groan. Ashley rolled her eyes as she carefully rested one of the grocery bags on their little side table by the door. She walked into their living room to find a version of Heather Morris that she was definitely not familiar with. She cringed as she looked at her blonde friend.

"Wow… you look like death…" Ashley said bluntly.

Heather leered at her roommate from under her pile of blankets and litter of tissues. She grunted in response and pouted. She felt like going home should have helped somewhat, but it only made her feel worse. She couldn't sleep, she couldn't let her mind rest, she could barely eat anything without feeling nauseous… All she could do was wallow in front of the television and eat their fun packs of chocolate pudding she found in the fridge. Everything else she found made her stomach churn uncomfortably. She had gone through two tissue boxes already and was well into her third. There was literally a mountain of crumpled Kleenex on either side of her. Her nose forbid itself to stop running… it was pretty disgusting.

"I'bve got the sniffle…" Heather finally garbled out of her closed up throat. She gave a loud sneeze into the tissue wad in her hand.

"You sound like death too…" Ashley told her and leaned over and sniffed at her hair. Heather retreated and made a face at her. "Mhm… even smell like death."

Heather didn't even have enough energy to roll her eyes at her roommate. She pulled her knitted blanket over her head, Saint Mary style, and sunk ever further in the crook of her couch.

"Then leabe me alone to rest in peace…"

Ashley chortled at Heather as she moved to the kitchen to drop the groceries off.

"That's what you get for flirting with TV stars in the rain!" Ashley called over her shoulder jokingly. Heather's head fell back against the couch as she whimpered, reminded of her troubled predicament.

She of course gave daily updates of her and Naya's relationship to Ashley. She was her best friend and she knew she could rely on her for any advice or questions she needed answered. Ashley was surprisingly supportive of everything that has happened in the past week or so; maybe a little protective, but supportive nonetheless. She even goes so far as encouraging Heather's friendship with Naya by getting Heather to inquire the star with questions about filming techniques, set up procedures, and of course… Matthew Morrison. And, like her coworkers, Ashley never falters to give Heather a hard time every now and again whenever the blonde visibly swoons over her obvious celeb crush. Heather of course denies it every time, but leave it to Ashley to know her friend better. Heather was thankful to have such supportive friends. She really lucked out with the people she surrounded herself with. She knew they all cared deeply about her and were there to stand by her whenever she needed them most.

When Heather told Ashley about last night, she was reluctant to tell her the specifics… but Ashley did catch her coming back into their house sopping wet. She kinda had to explain her muddy rain boots and dripping coat. Before she knew it she found herself pouring every little emotion Naya made her feel out in that pounding rain. She couldn't help it. Once she did, she felt a mixture of relief and a bit of regret… Ashley's playful mocking seemed to amplify. Ashley knew Heather pretty well. The girl had never been protective over her feelings and she willingly shared them with Ashley. Ever since they met, the two shared a knowing bond. So naturally, when this new found friendship sprung in the early hours of Heather's shifts at the coffee house, the blonde couldn't resist from shyly telling her best friend of their interactions. However, there was one tiny little detail that Heather did not share with Ashley about her relationship with Naya… She was still contemplating when it would be safe to break that information out to her…

"Speaking of celebs…" Ashley said as she returned to the living room with one of their pudding packs and plopped down on the lounge chair opposite to the side of Heather. "How'd your daily coffee date go?"

"They're not dates for the lasb time…" Heather scolded. Ashley simply rolled her eyes knowingly.

"We didn't hab one…" Heather finally sniffled sadly.

"Ah…" Ashley realized, "No wonder you're so down in the dumps…"

"She was probably busy with work…" Heather added, her mind drifting off to the wonderful Latina. She smiled foolishly at the thought of her, hoping that she got her message.

"That's a bummer… I bet you she was probably very disappointed to not get her coffee fix from her favorite, cute little barista," Ashley tried to cheer her up, and Heather smiled and shook her head to her roommate.

"Well… I… I did make sure I made her a coffee before I left…" Heather all but weakly told Ashley of her thoughtful little treat for Naya.

Ashley simply stopped mid-scoop into her pudding cup and looked to Heather with an amused raised eyebrow. Before she let Ashley have her fun with jokes, Heather butted in her reasoning.

"It was jusb in case she ended up stobbing by! I wanted her to know that I… I was thankful for the ride she gave me last night…" Heather replied softly as she picked at some of the strings of her knitted blanket.

Ashley observing her quietly, snorted at Heather's clearly lovesick face.

"It was just a friendly notion… That's all…"

Ashley slight chuckling slowly turned into a smile of realization. Heather looked adorable as she appeared so obviously smitten to her best friend. Heather was never too hard for Ashley to figure out.

"Oh God… you've so fallen for her…" Ashley sung out to her.

"W-Whud? N-No… Whud is with everyone today?" Heather tried to defend helplessly.

"Your stuttering tells me otherwise."

"It's cause I'bm sick…" she continued to make up excuses.

"Blah, blah, blah… Come on, Heather. I know you better than that. You don't have to lie to me. It's totally okay if you have a little crush on her. Damn, even I'll say it. I think she's hot…" Ashley admitted openly.

Heather didn't say anything. She just pursed her lips and thought to herself quietly.

"Look…" Ashley said, raising her pudding cup and spoon up defensively, "I'm just saying that most coffee baristas don't normally take their breaks conveniently in times when a certain customer comes in _just _to talk them. Or keep shop open at abnormal hours in the night simply to chit chat with them. Or huddle with them in the middle of a rain storm—"

"—Hey, I never said anything about huddling—" Heather tried to interrupt, but Ashley wouldn't let her.

"Nor do most coffee baristas set aside their customer's favorite drink when they're not even sure they will come in…" Ashley finished, looking to Heather with soft knowing eyes.

Heather opened and closed her mouth several times trying to think of some clever come back to best her sharp roommate. But nothing was coming to mind. When she could do absolutely nothing, but agree with Ashley, she knew… She knew what Ashley was saying was true. She had obvious feelings greater than friendship for Naya, but she wasn't ready to make anything of it. She was comfortable with where she stood with the star and she didn't want to confuse herself with all these hopeful subtext underlining's that she was sure she was reading into. The two were finally starting to really trust each other. She was trying her hardest to preserve this trust…

_God damn… this fangirling has gone to the extreme. _She pinched the bridge of her nose thinking how much Naya would freak if she ever knew. She needed someone to tell her… _something_. She's never felt this way, especially for a girl… That detail only seemed minor as she was having a real life crush over her favorite Glee star here…

"Oh, hon…" Ashley told her comfortingly as she moved over to sit next to her very sick friend. She used a magazine to shift the pile of snot filled tissues to make a spot for her to sit. After brushing away all the unsanitary germs and making a few unflattering faces, she looked over to Heather who's eyes were distant. She patted her knee supportively and the blonde finally turned her pouty face to Ashley. The brunette rolled her eyes and smiled to her.

"You're going to be fine… At least you're admitting to it, that's a start. And honestly…" Ashley whispered to her and Heather looked up to her with those big, wide blue eyes. Ashley almost laughed at the sight of her friend, still hooded by her blanket. "I'm pretty sure she likes you too."

Heather smiled that bright innocent smile that Ashley hadn't seen in a long time. She laughed openly at the blonde in front of her. Heather threw her balled up tissue at her face.

"Okay now… I think I'bve heard enough of this today. Shud up or I'll sneeze on you," Heather threatened and Ashley simply chortled in response.

The phone rang on their side table, distracting them from their banter. Ashley leaned over to pick it up.

"Hello?

* * *

><p>"I can see why you go to that café all the time."<p>

Naya rolled her head lazily over in Dianna's direction as the two were conversing casually on the couch in the brunette's trailer. They were taking a moment to relax after a very, very long day of work. Ryan had made a couple of the cast members stay over time to compensate for Naya's long break earlier in the day. She apologized repeatedly to everyone; she hated the fact that she was slowing everyone down. Naya was able to make it through the rest of the day, thanks to her Latte Girl's little gift. But still, coffee or no coffee, she was ready to go home.

"See. I told you they had good coffee and tea…" Naya grinned cockily.

Dianna chuckled, "And I agree. They have some pretty unique flavors there… I'll have to suggest it to Lea."

Naya coughed uncomfortably… and it wasn't from her cold.

"Um… yeah…"

Dianna grinned devilishly.

"You not so keen on that?" she inquired.

"I never said that…" Naya mumbled, although she wasn't really keen on anyone intruding on her coffee place. She hated being so greedy and attached, but she liked her little café kept quiet and to herself.

"Right…" Dianna all but said knowingly, "Of course their selection isn't the only thing to go back for. They've got a pleasant atmosphere, not to mention the service…"

Naya eyed Dianna as she spoke.

"It's _extremely_ personal," she finished lowly.

"Are you trying to imply something again with the whole "personal" part?" Naya retorted bluntly.

"Not at all," Dianna replied innocently. "But now that you bring it up your Latte Girl seems to be genuinely thoughtful…"

Naya let go of a weary sigh.

"Alright… let's just get it out of your system in one go. You have three minutes to have your fun. Starts now," Naya said as she looked down at her phone's clock as if to time Dianna.

"Naya… I'm not here to mock you," Naya snorted at Dianna, "I think it's endearing really."

Naya crinkled her eyebrows, "Endearing? Out of all the words you think of, you choose endearing?"

"Well… it is. What she did for you today was extremely thoughtful. I don't know any normal barista who would do that."

Naya sat quietly, simply fiddling with her hairband around her wrist. When Naya surprisingly didn't say anything clever back at Dianna, the blonde continued slowly; she wanted to make sure her plan went accordingly.

"She seems to really care about you…" Dianna says with her soft voice. Naya shrugs absentmindedly.

"We're friends. I think she's an interesting person," she says simply. Dianna smiles.

"Naya…" she says bringing Naya's attention back up to her honest hazel eyes, "I think she likes you more than just a friend."

Naya squinted at Dianna as if she had two heads. She did not want to deal with Dianna's obvious implications right now so she decided to divert them.

"Okay…" Naya said slowly and then concluded with a nod, "You're right."

Dianna smile grew wider. This was easier than she thought.

"She's more like a best friend…" Naya admitted, though shyly.

Dianna's smile faltered slightly. It wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear… Sure, she was happy to hear Naya say that, but she was hoping for a different response.

"Naya, that's not exactly what I was trying to say."

"Then _what_ are you trying to say?" Naya reiterated her with a sigh.

Dianna smiled gently and then emphasized more clearly, "She _likes_ you Naya."

Naya swallowed thickly. Before she would let her tired mind think too hard about it she shook her head at Dianna.

"No…" Naya simply dismissed her with her finger.

"Um… yes?" Dianna countered with a furrowed eyebrow.

"No," Naya stated more firmly.

"Yes!" Dianna said exasperatedly. Before Naya could intercede again she continued, "Naya, you've gotta be blind not to see it! And it seems to me that the feelings are not just one-sided. You, my dear, have one obvious crush on this little, innocent Latte Girl."

Naya scoffed and looked to Dianna disbelievingly.

"What? Di, you didn't even meet her! Neither did you see us together. How in the world would you know?" Naya practically shouted at her.

"Nay, calm down… You're absolutely right. I haven't seen you two interact yet. But…" Dianna put up her finger to make her point, "I also have never seen you this happy in ages."

Naya settled down slightly and let Dianna explain herself.

"Look… I'm not gonna go all 'psychologist Dianna' on your ass here. I know you hate it," Naya glared at her in confirmation. "And by all means I'm not telling you how to live your life, but please hear me out."

Naya chewed on her lower lip. She knew Dianna wasn't her enemy here… she only wanted to help, even if that help was unwanted. She nodded her head once and Dianna proceeded.

"Like I said… I haven't seen you this happy in a really long time, Naya. Not since, well… you know…" Dianna referred cautiously. Naya remained stoic. "We all love seeing you this way. Especially when you talk about her... I know we act like we don't want to hear it, but we honestly love every second of it. It's adorable seeing you fawn all over—"

"I was not fawning!" Naya interrupted.

Dianna took a step back and nodded her head.

"Right, of course. No fawning. Only high appraisals?" she suggested instead and Naya nodded in acceptance. Dianna smiled gently at her friend and tried her best to choose her next words carefully.

"Point is Naya, I know that you normally don't let people in this fast… You always have this tendency on running away when something as amazing as love rushes towards you…"

Naya's eyes hesitantly flicker to Dianna's patient ones. Her arms were folded across her chest defensively as she chewed on her lower lip. Love? She didn't like Dianna moving so fast as to call any of this love. It worried her. Even so, she hated Dianna for being so damn right all the time. It was obvious there were stronger feelings between the two of them than just mere friendly camaraderie. She knew if the insanely observant blonde hadn't gotten into the business, she would make bank on being a psychologist, or interrogator. Dianna was always brilliant at getting the truth out…

Dianna placed a comforting hand on Naya's knee.

"This, Naya… this is a really amazing thing and it's rushing right towards you."

"It's not that easy," Naya rasped out almost inaudibly.

"But it can be Naya…" Dianna said softly. She then dipped her hand into her pocket, Naya's eyes watching intently as she pulled out a small, folded piece of paper. Dianna extended her arm over to Naya and she looked deeply into the brunette's puzzled brown orbs. She slipped the note from her fingers slowly and unfolded it.

"All you have to do is step up to the counter and order," Dianna chuckled light-heartedly, then added, "No pun intended…"

Naya looked down at the ten digit code inscribed on the paper. Her eyes immediately bulged at the information Dianna had handed to her.

"You didn't…"

"You should totally ask her out."

"I cannot believe you did," Naya pinched the bridge of her nose while Dianna giggled excitedly.

"Tomorrow night we have that small, cocktail dinner party that Ryan is putting up for us since we've had our highest viewership yet…"

"This is absolutely crazy."

"And I figured, since you always complain after like an hour into these lame producer infiltrated get-togethers…"

"This isn't happening…"

"You would want to invite someone of more _entertaining_ company," Dianna concluded suggestively with a wide smile. Naya on the other hand sat slouched in her couch, with an extremely grumpy expression on her face.

"You are on crack. Did you know that?"

Dianna rolled her eyes then she said insistently, "Call her."

"Do you know how absolutely embarrassing this is? You got this from Kaitlyn didn't you? She's probably gonna think I sent you to pry it out of her!" Naya gestured, waving the note about.

"How I got her number is insignificant… but I assure you I made it clear you had no affiliation with my actions," Dianna defended, "In fact, after some gentle persuading, the other girl seemed to totally agree with me."

"I hate you right now…" Naya mumbled.

"You'll love me after you call her…" Dianna pointed out.

Naya's eyes drifted off. They seemed to burn holes through the tiny slip of paper with Ashley's phone number on it. Her mind knew the proper thing to do: crumple it up and forget she ever saw it. But her heart on the other hand was telling her to take Dianna's advice and run with it. After a few solid minutes of impatient waiting, Dianna grew tired. She decided it was time to move into phase two of her plan.

"Fine. We can do this the hard way," Dianna grumbled as she snatched the note back from Naya's hands, effectively giving her a paper cut… and Naya _hated_ paper cuts, almost as much as she hated Dianna right now.

"Ow!" she hissed as she sucked on her right index finger.

Distracted, she didn't have time to process what Dianna was doing as she also stole Naya's iPhone from her lap. Looking at the paper, Dianna quickly began to click the numbers onto the dial pad. Naya's eyes widened like saucers as she realized what the devious blonde was doing. She immediately tried to grab at her phone.

"Dianna! Don't!" she yelled.

But it was too late. It was ringing.

"Here," Dianna said shoving the phone at Naya, but Naya backed away from it.

"I-I can't!" Naya stammered at Dianna, nervously. She felt rushed and unprepared. She didn't have enough time to process what was going on.

"Naya, really? Just use that flirty side of your little mind and take the fucking phone!" Dianna hissed, as she leaned over and literally pressed the thing to Naya's ear. Just as she did, Naya heard a bright, cheery:

_"Hello?"_

Naya faltered slightly, needing to blink a few times.

_Heather listened to Ashley dismissively as she turned her attention back to the television and tugged another tissue from the box next to her._

_ "Hell-o?" Ashley repeated, tapping her fingers on her thigh impatiently._

Naya coughed loudly to clear her sore throat, before taking the phone from Dianna's hand and speaking as normally as she could, "H-Hi."

_"Hi…" Ashley replied slowly, wincing slightly at the sound of the harsh sounding voice on the other end._

"I'm sorry… Can I speak to Ashley please?"

_"This is she…"_

Naya frowned. She could recognize her Latte Girl's voice anywhere and she knew for a fact that this was not her.

_"Who's calling?" Ashley asked with a furrowed eyebrow. Heather blew her nose loudly and looked over to Ashley. The brunette shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes. Heather nodded understandingly. They had been getting some pretty weird calls lately from this man who was looking for Jerry… obviously, he still hasn't found him. It was getting pretty annoying._

"This is Naya Rivera… Is there… another Ashley in the household?" Naya asked in last hopes that she would magically come up on the line, but then she mentally scolded herself for sounding so uncharacteristically desperate.

_"Naya Rivera?" Ashley further crinkled her eyebrows. No offense to this chick, or dude, but Ashley thought they sounded like a cat that lost its meowing. Her ass it was Naya Rivera… _

"Um… yes?" she confirmed nervously.

_ Heather's head snapped in Ashley's direction as she heard her roommate say the actress's name. Her eyes bulged. Naya Rivera couldn't really be calling her house… could she? Heather panicked. She couldn't recall giving her number to her… or maybe she did? _Fuck…_ she thought as tried to think of a time she may have slipped the information to the actress. She immediately inched towards Ashley._

_ "Right… why in the world would Naya Rivera be calling me? I swear I don't know where you creeps come from. Honestly, whoever this is, try being a little more creative next time. Stop calling us!" Ashley ranted rudely. In a flurry of Kleenex wads and blankets, Heather lunged at Ashley with a speed she was surprised her sickly body could manage._

_ "Waib! No!" Heather clambered over Ashley's shocked body just as she was about to hang up on the mystery caller._

"I-I'm sorry… I must have the wrong number," Naya mumbled, cheeks flushing in embarrassment and confused with the whole situation. She quickly ended the call to save herself from further humiliation.

_Heather finally got a good hold on the plastic of the telephone and breathed out frantically into the mouth piece, "H-Hello? Hello? Naya?"_

_ The line was dead._

Naya glowered up dangerously through her eyelashes at Dianna, who was giving her an apologetic smile.

"Thanks a lot, Di. You're the best," Naya pretended to beam sarcastically at her blonde friend, who rolled her eyes.

_"Heather?" Ashley tried to get her frazzled roommates attention as she tried to fiddle her way through the phone's call history. "Would you like to enlighten me on the situation here?"_

_ "Gib me a sec…" she replied as the phone worked its magic and started to redial the last incoming call._

Naya was just about to get up into Dianna's face about minding her own business when her phone started to buzz in her lap. She lifted the device back up and her eyes immediately widened in fear.

"Fuck…"

"What?" Dianna asked worried at the brunette's tone.

"T-They're calling back!" Naya squeaked.

_"Heather!"_

_ "Can you'b just hold on please?" Heather pleaded with a sniffle as she was impatiently counting the rings that passed by._

_ "If this really is Naya Rivera calling our fucking phone… why did she ask for me?" Ashley asked Heather sharply as she crossed her arms over her chest._

_ Heather remained mute._

"What do I do?" Naya asked Dianna frantically.

"Answer it!"

"Are you kidding me? You made me call some number you got from someone you barely even know on _my_ cell phone! Did it ever occur to you that it could be a fake? Now some random, creepy person has my number!" Naya hissed sharply at the blonde who winced at the realization that this could all be a terrible mistake on her hands.

"Well, it could also be _her_ calling back… maybe there was a mix up. Answer it before it goes to message."

"No! You answer it!" Naya said, immaturely throwing the phone at Dianna.

"No, it's your phone and your crush!" Dianna threw the device back at Naya like hot potato, the phone still buzzing and about to explode in any second.

"No way! You started this! You fucking finish it Agron!" Naya tossed her phone one final time in Dianna's lap.

The blonde bit her lip as she reluctantly picked up Naya's phone, on its last couple rings, and tapped on the green answer button.

"Hello?" she answered sweetly, trying to rid of any nervousness in her voice from Naya's unrelenting stare.

_Heather was shocked when the phone was finally answered, but was only disappointed when she didn't hear Naya's familiar husk._

_ "Um… Hi…" she said shyly. "Is… Is this Naya?" _

_ Ashley had sidled up close to Heather's side and pressed her ear to the back side of the phone to hear the other half of the conversation curiously. Heather tried to bat her away, their hands having smacking battles. _

"Depends…" Dianna replied with a raised eyebrow as she flitted her eyes up at Naya who was watching her friend's every expression. "Who is speaking?"

_"Guh…" Heather fumbled miserably under Ashley's heavy gaze. _

_ She swallowed thickly and answered, "This is Ashley." _

_ Heather had never seen her roommate's mouth fall open agape so quickly at her as she literally fumed in shock as things fell into place. Heather cleared her throat and sucked in a weary breath, not liking at all the death glares the real Ashley was sending her._

_ "Coffee house, Ashley…" Heather clarified after the receiver was still silent._

_ "You did not!" Ashley hissed, her ear still close to the phone._

_ "Shh!" Heather tried to shush her._

Dianna grinned in satisfaction as she looked back up at Naya who looked absolutely lost. Dianna simply handed her phone back over to the very confused looking brunette. Naya took her phone back wearily and cleared her sore throat for the second time.

"Hello?"

_"Naya," Heather said brightly into the mouth piece at the familiar voice. A smile immediately graced her lips._

Naya sat there dumbfounded for a good few seconds before answering in shock, "Hey…"

_"Sorry for all the… confusion earlier…" Heather began nervously and she heard Ashley huff angrily next to her._

"Oh, don't worry about it… It's my fault. Anonymous phone calls are always pretty sketchy. Can I ask who that was earlier though?" Naya couldn't help but ask.

_"T-That was just my… roommate," Heather replied wearily as her eyes glanced over to Ashley. _

_ "I guh… asked her to jusg um… pretend she'b was me whenever someone called. I didn't want anyone to deal wib my ridiculously congested voice right'g now…" Heather lied painfully, she even physically winced at how horrible she felt after. It didn't help that Ashley was shaking her head and biting her tongue next to her._

"Totally understandable," Naya's voice scratched out through the line.

_Heather chuckled, "Wow. You'b sound worse than I do."_

A shy grin spread onto Naya's lips, "Yeah, I know… I wouldn't even be able to speak if it had not been for that lovely gift you left me."

_"Oh! So you did get it?" _

"Yes. Thank you. You saved my ass today…" Naya told her honestly, "It was really too much of you to do so."

_"It was nothing, really…" Heather said softly, a blush creeping to her cheeks. She glanced sideways momentarily and wiped the foolish grin on her lips as Ashley was still glaring at her. _

"You may think so, but I feel like I owe you one otherwise," Naya replied, her confidence coming back.

_"Please, Naya. It was a gift—"_

"How about you put your next drink on _my_ tab? Tomorrow night I have this small get-together with the rest of the cast at some restaurant our boss is making us go to… And honestly, it sounds pretty boring."

_"You call thab boring? It sounds priddy cool to me," Heather chuckled lightly._

Naya smiled wide at the sound, even if it was noticeably congested.

"You sound interested. Be my plus one for the night…" Naya husked, "I promise you'll have fun."

_"Guh…" Heather stuttered and she side glanced back to Ashley who was still watching her. She knew she was not going to get any support from her right now…_

_ "You mean like… like a date?" Heather asked nervously._

"Yah," Naya nodded to herself, "A date."

Naya didn't notice Dianna silently clap to herself in accomplishment.

"You can call it whatever you like, hon."

_Heather chewed on her lower lip anxiously. She wanted to say yes… She wanted to say yes terribly, but she knew this was a disaster in the making. This phone call was already such a close call. It was like a suicide mission, going straight into the lion's den, sailing through treacherous waters. If she attended the party, there was bound to be someone there who would recognize Heather in an instant and her identity would be exposed, leaving Naya to judge her heartlessly. Heather needed time to regroup and think things through… She knew she needed to tell Naya about her past. Hiding all of this was becoming too much to handle. But she wanted to do this right. She needed to sit down and really plan out a gentle way to explain everything to this girl she was starting to care for deeply. She didn't want to mess things up and ruin all these amazing moments they've had… Most importantly, she didn't want to hurt Naya._

_ "I-I can't…" Heather finally mustered the courage to say, closing her eyes regretfully. Ashley broke away from her side of the phone to look at Heather in confusion._

_ "What? Why?" she whispered._

"Oh…" was all Naya could reply, her face falling. Dianna also physically pouted and slumped at Naya's change in composure.

_"Believeb me when I say I would love to… It sounds like a lot of fun and I…" Heather told her softly and honestly, "I would really enjoy spending more time with you."_

A small, hopeful smile crept back to Naya's lips, "Then say yes."

_Heather squeezed her eyes shut painfully. It was so difficult to not give in to temptation and agree, but she knew what she had to do. Besides, she really couldn't._

_ "I wish I could, but I'bm working the café tomorrow… I promised Reese I would pick up the extra shift yesterday," Heather really regretted agreeing to that now…_

"Oh… I see," Naya sighed. "I understand."

_"I'm sorry…"_

"Maybe... you can stop by after? If it's not too late?" Naya couldn't believe she just went as far as asking her to come anyways. She's definitely never done that before…

_"Yeah, I can try. If it's mot too late," Heather agreed._

"Great. Well, I'll let you go. Get some rest," Naya told her sweetly.

_Heather smiled weakly into the phone, "Yeah, same goes for you too. It was a nice surprise talking to you. I'bm really glad you called." _

"Ditto…" Naya replied softly. "Hopefully I'll see you tomorrow."

_"Hope to see you too. G'night."_

"Night."

Both of the girls finally hung up, one releasing a disappointed sigh and the other rubbing a tired hand over tired eyes.

"Well?" Dianna finally spoke up.

"_Well_, don't expect any 'thank you's coming from me anytime soon, Agron…" Naya grumbled.

"What did she say?"

_"You said your name was Ashley?"_

_ "I'bm sorry! I told you I froze up!"_

_ "So you told her you were me? Out of all people? Really?" Ashley exclaimed._

_ "I didn't say I was _you,_ Ashley Lendzion, per say… I just happened to say the name Ashley! You know you have a very common name…" Heather pointed out to her fuming friend as she nervously twirled their phone in her hands._

_ "Please remind me why exactly you did in the first place?"_

"She didn't say no, Naya…" Dianna pointed out.

"But she didn't say yes," she retorted.

"She made it clear that she would have if she wasn't working. God, give yourself some credit and give the girl a break! She likes you Naya! And she would have said yes if the conditions were different."

Naya remained silent, her arms folded across her chest.

_"Hold up… So you're telling me, that Naya Rivera, the actress that you spend hours with practically every day for the past week, doesn't know that you came on the set that day you taught the Single Ladies dance and that you were up for the role of the third cheerleader?"_

_ "Yeah…"_

_ "And she thinks your name is _Ashley_?" Ashley asked, looking up at Heather in disbelief._

_ "Yes…" Heather confirmed quietly._

_ "Holy fuck, this… this is insane!" Ashley exploded, flailing her arms up. "Why, Heather? Why not just tell the truth?"_

_ "I… I told you…" Heather looked down shamefully at her palms. "I was embarrassed…"_

"Just see what happens tomorrow night… She may surprise you, ya know?" Dianna tried to comfort the brunette in attempts to spring any last bit of hope she could into her friend.

Naya was fiddling with her phone in her hands absentmindedly as she let her eyes drift about her trailer in thought. They landed on her empty coffee cup that still stood on her dresser, her Latte Girl's note facing her. A tiny, almost unnoticeable smile crept to her lips.

"Yeah… maybe I just need a little dosage of unpredictability tomorrow…"

_"What if she sues us or something?" Ashley pointed out as she paced the living room in front of Heather who had brought her knees up to her chest and hugged her shins. She sat small and worried on the couch as she absorbed what Ashley was telling her slowly._

_ "Don't be ridiculous… she won't sue us. What can she sue us for?"_

_ "I don't know! She's a fucking actress isn't she? I'm sure she's got a lot more cash than we do… She can accuse us of fraud or some weird shit like that. I don't know law technicalities! All I know is that this isn't going to go down without some sort of commotion," the short brunette ranted away. Heather's eyes widened in fear._

_ "Oh God… Oh God…" Heather started to panic too, "You're right… She's gonna hate me for this! Wh-What if she _does_ try to sue us? Or… Or blackmails us or something? What if she tries to kill me?" _

_ Ashley rolled her eyes at Heather, "Okay, that's just stupid. She's isn't a murderer, Hemo… She's not gonna kill you."_

_ Heather buried herself into her blankets and smothered herself in darkness in attempts to hide away from all of this._

_ "Whud am I gonna do?" came muffled out from underneath the lumpy pile._

_ Composing herself, Ashley came to a conclusion._

_ "Okay, this is what is gonna happen," she walked back to the couch and pulled Heather up by the shoulders, her blankets falling away from her, "First, Heather Elizabeth Morris, you are going to pull yourself together. Next, you're going to use that little brain of yours that got you into this mess and think of some nice, fancy words to say to Naya. Tomorrow, you're going to close shop up early, get yourself to that damn party, and explain everything to her before this goes any further!"_

_ Heather stood up from the couch, trying to pull her shoulders up confidently._

_ "You know what… you're right. This has got to end now," Heather said firmly. "I'm going to tell her."_

_ "Good!" Ashley smacked her proudly on the shoulder._

_ "I'bm going to do my best with settling this entire mess and salvage my friendship with her."_

_ "That's right."_

_ "Right… I'll do it, Monday…" Heather stated and sat herself back down on the couch._

_ "Exact—Wait… What? Monday?" Ashley puzzled her brow at Heather, "No, no, no. This ends tomorrow, my dear."_

_ "I can't, Ash… I'bm mot ready. I can't just show up to this party and tell her… I know I'll jusb make a fool out of myself. Besides, I hate closing shop early, I always feel guilty," Heather ranted her excuses, while Ashley rolled her eyes at every single one. "I want to do this on my own terms, on my own turf. I'll freeze up again if I try to do it anywhere else."_

_ Ashley sighed as she too flopped back down onto the couch next to Heather, completely drained. After a few minutes of huffing and brooding, she finally nodded and gave a supporting pat on Heather's knee._

_ "Fine, Heather…" she told her, but then pointed her finger at her crossly, "But you fix this. You better fix it."_

_ Heather's eyes were wide as she nodded in agreement. _

_ "I know… I have to fix it."_

* * *

><p>On to the questions! It was a joy hearing back from all of you! Please feel free to ask more questions if you wish! Also, if I miss your question here, ask it again. Some of you I may have already gotten to via PM. And I honestly, really do love interacting with you guys!<p>

**Suze: **I was actually kind of afraid someone would ask me about Naya and Heather's sexual orientation in this story… For this particular fic, I wasn't planning on delving into that whole side of sexual identification because I'm sorta doing that in my other fic. Even if I never cover it in the story, it is implied that Naya has had some sexual relationships with women and she makes it obvious to most everyone that she's "open to everything" :). I did say before that Heather sees people as people; in this story she thinks everyone is beautiful and that if falling in love with someone of the same sex makes her happy, she'll go after what makes her happy. She wears her emotions on her sleeve, so luckily she is surrounded by people who accept her free loving heart. (Hopefully this answers your question! PM if not!)

**you-smell-terrific:** Still debating on the sexy times… if enough people _really_ do want I'll see what I can do if it's not too out of context :)

**dancelikeheya:** Yes, Naya will eventually know who Heather really is.

**TrannosaurusRex:** I first just wanna say that there _will_ be Dianna and Heather interactions sometime in the story. They are the Unholy Trinity after all ;) Also, I hope this chapter fulfilled your need for more Ashley; she'll also be featured more in the next few chapters or so. And with the whole car situation in the rain… Naya tells Hemo that her car is still over at the set (don't ask me if that's illogical or not) so the two walk the shorter distance there instead of Heather walking all the way back home in the rain and Naya calling a cab. Hope that kinda clarifies your question… believe me it took me a while to plot that whole scenario when I was writing it lol.

**defygravity79:** I feel a little of this chapter answered you question about Dianna catching on to everything… She definitely wants Naya to be happy and she can tell that this girl is making her happy, so she will continue to try and push the two together. She's a schemer and that will play in the future. As far as bringing everyone into the café… I won't say anything is set in stone, but I wasn't initially planning on anyone else showing up. But I'll think about it since you brought it up.

Thanks for everyone's questions! I hope I answered them all!


	9. Part 1: Chapter 8

A/N: Hope the wait wasn't too unbearable. So I have to prepare everyone… this chapter is the longest chapter I've ever written before. I had a feeling it was going to be because I wanted to fit a lot of information and events in here, so bear with me. Sorry if you get bored with all the psychological bits in here… I really pick apart Heather's brain.

Also, I'm not from the L.A. county area nor do I have any idea where either girl lives, so as far as writing out the technological geography of SoCal, please just go with it. I really am only guesstimating. Last bit about the chapter, I was inspired by a wonderful, little flower from the movie Simply Irresistible… I don't know too much about baking with flowers, or if it is even possible. I looked as much up on the topic as I possibly could.

Thanks again to everyone who's read and reviewed. I appreciate all of your comments, feedback, PMs, questions, and encouragement. It's been a pleasure going through them. I mean, I've got some of you leaving class early, stealing friend's laptops in between flights, and even writing awesome raps for me. I wonder if I could use this power to convince RIB to let Brittana be together already :) Thanks as always to Fossil_10, you make me sound better than I could ever imagine. Questions are always appreciated as well! They are answered again at the end. After writing this chapter, I can say I was left with an extremely hungry stomach… read to find out ;)

Also, chapters may be coming out a bit slower than before… I'm starting class back up again and with my schedule sometimes it's hard to juggle times where I can write. So if I don't update say… for about a month? Please don't fret, I haven't abandoned this fic or Liar/Saint. Stick with me, I love writing for you guys.

**The Latte Girl  
>Chapter 8<strong>

Throughout the day, Heather tried to keep herself busy. She seemed to be pouring extra care than usual into her drinkable creations. She had always been picky if something wasn't just right, but never had she been this attentive to detail. When crafting butterflies and leaves in espresso foam didn't keep her preoccupied enough, Heather had gone so far as organizing the entire back inventory and completely cleaning the espresso machine; which everyone hated doing because the thing was a bitch to work with. It was absolutely spotless and gleamed brightly after she was done with it. As she stared back at her reflection in the espresso machine, she realized how much she was losing her mind. Her intensity with work was scaring her. Heather knew exactly why she was being like this today… she was trying to distract herself from the predicament she had to resolve.

For a Saturday, the Black Horse Café was accumulating a pretty decent crowd. Heather thought it was wonderful for the business, but bad for her situation. She did have a few spare moments to sit down and formulate an explanation to say to Naya. She would pace circles around the coffee shop speaking aloud like a mad woman trying to work out the proper things to say. Every time, she would end up walking herself into a corner, feeling more stuck than before she started. Last night was even worse. She spent the rest of the evening after Naya had called staring up at the ceiling. She had made a permanent plaster of her ass on that couch as her mind whirled aimlessly about for a plan on how the next day would go. Not until her eyelids became too heavy did she succumb to much needed sleep.

So, the only thing she could do to keep herself sane was to distract herself by working her poor, tired body till it ached. She looked at the clock and noticed it was already 5:30 in the evening. She furrowed her eyebrows and wondered how all that time could have disappeared so quickly.

She served her last customer who bought some dessert pastries to go along with a bouquet of brightly assorted daisies. He explained how they were for his wife for their 15th anniversary. Heather smiled at how the man's eyes still evidently swam with love, even when he was ranting off his wife's annoying tendencies. This was the type of thing Heather adored seeing; how love, when honest, never wore away with age. Heather kindly gave the smiling husband a discount on his purchase as a small gift for the couple's special day.

When he left, she puffed up at her fringe that tickled her eyelashes. She wasn't all too sure if she was ready to face Naya yet. Heather slowly started to close up shop since their weekend hours showed that they normally always closed around 6:00. Earlier that day, she had transferred Naya's number to her dinky little cell phone that barely had any minutes and had texting that cost ten cents for every message… Still, Naya was totally worth a couple more cents or dollars on the bill to figure out where and when the party was.

Naya had sent her a message with the address of the restaurant and that it started at 8:00 which was attached with a winking smiley face. This left Heather with approximately two hours to decide whether she was going to show up to this party or not. As she absentmindedly fell into her closing routine, she worried her teeth into her lower lip.

It wasn't like she didn't want to tell Naya… She absolutely hated lying to her this whole time and she had regretted ever distorting parts of her past history in the first place. The more she looked back on that day she called out Ashley's name instead of her own, the more she felt like an idiot. She wanted to get all of this off her chest, but being honest had alternate consequences she feared. She had feelings for Naya that would be defined as something much greater than friendly… With admitting to this, Heather knew what she could lose. There was that possibility that Naya would not be as accepting of her mistake as she was hoping. She wasn't sure how well she would cope if the only time she ever saw Naya again was on her television screen.

She dropped the towel she was using on the table she had mopped up for the third time now and let go of a frustrated groan. She placed a weary hand over her pulsing forehead and then ran her fingers over her eyes.

"What are you doing?" she asked out to the empty shop, wishing someone was there to answer her. She sat herself gingerly in the chair next to her, burying her face into her palms.

Everything felt like it was moving way too fast. She had really _just_ gotten to know Naya over the course of a little more than a week. Now here she was, burrowing her mind into a hole because she's frightened she'll lose her. Sure, Heather always had been one for throwing caution to the wind, but this was a relationship she was talking about here; one that she wanted to further explore. Heather was used to taking her time before feeling like she has been feeling the past few days with Naya. With Taylor, it was true that there was an immediate mutual attraction from the start, but after that the flame between them burned much slower… Of course she ultimately fell in love with him, but everything took time before deeper feelings surfaced. And she was used to that… the slow burning of it all.

With Naya…

Heather couldn't help, but feel her lips uncontrollably twitch upwards.

She was just… all sorts of unpredictable.

Heather spread her fingers that were still covering her face and let her eyes peek back up at the clock. 7:10 PM. She clamped her fingers back shut and sighed into her palms. She knew she had to resurface from her little thoughts eventually. How hard could it be to tell the truth? She was going to tell Naya. She had every intention of doing so, but tonight?

"No…" Heather murmured to herself, and her shoulders slumped. She knew someone would spot her before she would have the chance to tell Naya herself.

"Monday," she promised to herself and she turned to head to the back of the shop to busy herself again. Maybe her brain would shut off till Monday.

* * *

><p>Naya fiddled with the tiny black straw of her drink between her teeth in absolute boredom. She looked around as producers, creators and writers mingled with the actors they had hired for their hit show. Their chatter was lulling Naya to sleep in this spectacular private lounge of an extremely high end Japanese restaurant that she had always dreamed of eating at. She had to admit that she felt the ambiance of the place was going to waste right now… The sushi, on the other hand, was literally to die for.<p>

When they first got there she was practically in heaven as her and Jenna made their permanent home in front of the sushi bar for the night. She was having a decent time, laughing and spending time with her friends. Even so… she knew what would make this night a hundred times better. But time ticked away and no matter how often she made a side glance to the door, her plus one did not arrive. She tried to stay indifferent, but soon her friends were stolen away by the people who put on this beautiful event and Naya quickly fell into the state she was in now.

Naya raised the straw up from her half empty cocktail glass and blew through the narrow plastic. Little droplets of her alcoholic beverage splattered the very nicely polished dark granite counter of the bar she sat and she couldn't help but giggle immaturely. Dianna had walked up just in time to catch her childish act. She chuckled in amusement and Naya turned to the sound.

"Are you really that bored?" Dianna giggled cutely at Naya's obvious disinterest in the party she was a VIP guest of. She leaned casually against the bar in front of Naya.

Naya rolled her head over to Dianna, straw still between her lips.

"I think you can answer that yourself."

Dianna rolled her eyes and shook her head. When she looked back up at Naya her hazel eyes were softer, "I'm sorry she didn't show…"

Naya shrugged. "Oh well. Nothing you can do about it."

Dianna still looked to her apologetically before she cocked her head to the side as a thought came to her.

"I think there is…"

"What?" Naya asked seriously, afraid of her friend's tone. "Please don't tell me you did something crazy again. Like… you kidnapped her and have her locked up in the trunk of your car."

Dianna looked to Naya crossly and gave a soft scoff, "No… don't be ridiculous."

"Well…" Naya waved her hand about in consideration of the possibility while Dianna shook her head.

"I was thinking… Since you obviously don't want to be here…" Dianna plucked the straw out from between Naya's teeth and stuck it back into her drink.

"And rather be _there_…" Naya watched curiously as Dianna unclasped her bracelet from her wrist.

"You should go to her," Dianna finished as she quickly looked around her and dropped the glimmering piece of jewelry at the foot of the bar stool opposite of Naya's, slightly out of plain view.

"What are you doing?" Naya asked puzzling her brow at the blonde's intentions.

She rolled her eyes at Naya. Dianna thought she could be really hopeless at times.

"Saving your ass is what I'm doing," she said. With that she waltzed back into the middle of the party casually. Naya watched intently as Dianna touched her bare wrist.

"Crap… My bracelet," Dianna announced loudly, drawing attention to her.

"What's wrong, honey?" Lea asked touching her arm.

"I lost my bracelet. It must off fell off somewhere… It was a gift from my mother…" she started to fake look around frantically.

"We'll help you find it, Di," Lea told her softly.

Naya snorted as she watched everyone begin to search about the lounge area, Lea and Amber asking when the blonde actress remembered the last time she had it on. Dianna glanced over quickly to Naya and gave the most discrete wink in her direction. Naya laughed to herself and shook her head as she grabbed her purse and slung it over her shoulder. She headed over to the exit quietly. She had to give Dianna some credit. The girl really was a pain in the ass sometimes, but at the end of the day she always had a way to impress Naya. However, she'll have to remember to give Dianna a hard time for this stunt on Monday. Not only was her acting simply terrible, but Dianna breaking rules? It was a pretty rare sight.

As Naya strode through the walkway towards the door, the several bowl-shaped pots of creamy white orchids caught her eye. Her lips twitched into a smirk as she quickly looked over her shoulder at the distracted party guests. As slyly as she possibly could, she slipped the clay pot of orchids off the side pedestal closest to the door and quickly snuck out. Maybe it was because she wanted to spite all those drones who ruined her Saturday night or maybe it was her childish self that was shining out at that particular moment. Who knew what caused the impulse, but she simply couldn't resist herself.

Naya practically skipped to her car. She jumped in with a hurry and buckled her sprigs of orchids securely in the passenger's seat. With a wide smile she started her car and drove out of the parking lot. Instead of taking the freeway entrance towards home, she took another one turning the opposite direction back towards Hollywood.

* * *

><p>Heather whirled around towards the oven at the sound of the timer going off, causing a puff of flour to cloud after her. She carefully slipped a cupcake tin rowed with cute, tuxedo cupcakes before sliding in another baking tin. Heather smiled brightly at her new recipe. She made the perfect balance by modifying their gluten-free almond cupcake recipe and their chocolate cappuccino cupcake recipe. She placed the hot pan on the counter and then turned around in a circle trying to remember what she had been preparing last.<p>

When she came into their back little kitchen suite, Heather had intended to only prepare a few more pastries for tomorrow morning's tea and biscuits happy hour which Reese's wife always put together as a Sunday special. As the clock ticked past ten o'clock, Heather had definitely gotten carried away. Whenever she was stressed she would normally dance to relieve the tension. The next best thing was baking and she really needed anything to take her mind away from her situation. Once she got bored of following the recipes, she transformed the Black Horse Café's kitchen into an experimenting baking lab. The place had accumulated quite a mess and bottled up an immense amount of heat from the overworking oven and stoves, leaving Heather sweltering. Pans and pans of cakes, muffins, scones, biscuits, and other mouthwatering pastries littered the side counters; most perfect and others… not so much.

Heather finally came back to the stove where she had been working the beginnings of a batch of vanilla bean éclairs. She had never made these before, knowing they were a nuisance because of the cream filling… Heather shrugged, can't fail if you try.

She turned off the stove and observed her now ready melted butter and milk mixture. She gave the contents one last whisk before going next to the flour. Poking her tongue out she began to carefully approximate the amount of flour needed to be added, when she heard the faint jingling of the front door open. Her eyes widened. She quickly put down the sack of flour sending another puff up at her before hurrying out of the kitchen, whisk still in hand.

"Crap… Stupid, stupid Heather!"Heather hissed worriedly to herself. She must have forgotten to lock the door, but she recalled at least putting up the "closed" sign. She hoped it wasn't some creepy dude or someone who was going to steal something… That would be the worst scenario.

"Sorry! We're…" Heather slowed her pace as her eyes fell on the unexpected guest, "…closed."

Heather found Naya sitting patiently on top of one of the tables. She looked like a picture with her familiar cheeky grin on her lips, heel clad feet crossed neatly over one another, and a bloom of beautiful white orchids sitting on her lap. The branches tangled upwards, framing Naya's face softly and making her mocha eyes burn the brightest Heather had ever seen. The sight of her left Heather stunned in place, both in surprise that she was here and in awe of what a vision she was. She swayed a little in her daze and had to blink a few times to make sure all that heat didn't just go to her head.

"Hi…" Naya simply said softly.

Heather opened her mouth to reply to the greeting, but she must have dropped her brain sometime between now and when she ran out of the kitchen. All she could do was raise her hand still clasping her whisk and give a small stupid wave.

Naya chuckled brightly, her cheeks revealing the cutest dimples.

"Why do I always catch you here so late at night? Don't you ever go home?" Naya joked. "Or do you have a secret room hidden back there where they force you to live as their slave?"

Heather finally broke out of her gaping expression and cracked a smile. A light blush crept to her cheeks.

"I guess I must have gotten lost in all the flour and sugar back there," Heather giggled, sending another trail of flour up in the air as she waved her whisk about in emphasis.

Naya shook her head and placed the orchids to the side. She hopped gracefully off the table and walked slowly up to Heather. As she stood up, Heather was able to soak in that perfect little black dress that hung wonderfully to Naya's curves and her bright red heels that did amazing things for those calves and thighs. Sexy was an understatement… Heather quickly looked down at her own attire which was completely the opposite… She looked like a frump. She tried to pat off the thin layer of dusty flour clinging to her clothing, sending off little clouds of the white powder. When she looked back up she tried her hardest to not look so obviously lustful for the celebrity slinking casually over to her.

With that smile, Naya boldly reached out to Heather and swiped the pad of her index finger along the pale skin of her collar bone. Heather looked at the buttery cream cheese frosting coating the tip of her finger. She distantly remembered going a little crazy with frosting her carrot cake… Naya licked away the frosting and made an approving nod. As she watched Naya, Heather's head started to feel like it was oddly floating.

Naya smiled widely, loving the effect she was having on her Latte Girl.

"Well, you certainly look like one sexy cookie," Naya husked out in a half joke and in a half whisper.

Heather gulped.

"And you look…" Heather eyed Naya up and down, "… not sick."

It was all she could come up with and Heather mentally slapped herself for sounding like a four-year-old with very limited vocabulary. Naya chuckled happily.

"It's good to see you too," Naya laughed out. Heather blinked and shook some sense into her fuzzy head.

"Yah… yes! It's really great to see you…" Heather replied warmly and she moved around Naya to lock the door. "I thought you would still be at your party?"

Naya walked back to the table she was sitting on and played with the soft, velvety petals of the orchid she stole.

"Yeah, I got bored…"

"That much of dud?" Heather chuckled leaning back against the now securely locked door.

"Yes, especially those types of parties… You would have agreed with me."

Heather avoided Naya's gaze guiltily.

"So, I decided to bail and head home. Then I figured I'd stop by to see if you were miraculously still here since this place is on the way back. I thought I should since it was so convenient, ya know?" Naya covered, averting her eyes because this place was_ certainly_ not convenient to drive back to. "And honestly, I'm not surprised that I guessed you'd be here."

Heather raised her eyebrow and bit at her smile. She knew well from the address Naya sent that the party was in West Los Angeles which was a good extra twenty minute drive to Hollywood without traffic.

"Well, lucky you guessed right."

"Yah. Lucky me…"

Heather pushed off the door and walked to Naya, stopping to finger the branches of the orchid as well. She could smell the heavy scent of vanilla wafting from them.

"I really am sorry I couldn't make it…" Heather suddenly apologized to Naya. When she looked up into her eyes, Heather couldn't help but bite at her lower lip nervously. "M-My last customer didn't leave till late and then—"

Heather began making up excuses, but Naya put her hand up to stop her.

"Please don't apologize. I mean, I'm technically not supposed to be here when shop is clearly closed anyways. I don't want to… distract you… if you're too busy," Naya stepped closer to Heather, eyes gazing deeply into hers.

"Not at all…" Heather managed out and tore her eyes to the flower in front of her. She touched the petals lightly, "Vanilla orchids…"

"Yeah, they're for you," Naya held the pot out slightly to Heather who slipped it into her hands. "Even though it was a shitty party, I was sad you couldn't be bored with me."

Heather smiled widely and chuckled at Naya.

"So… I figured since you couldn't be there, I would bring a little piece of the party to you."

Heather's eyes danced over the dainty, white orchids, leaning close to inhale the warm natural scent of vanilla.

"They're lovely."

Naya smiled brightly.

"Well," Heather sighed and looked back at Naya. "The night isn't over yet… It's no party back there, but we can at least find a way to put this decoration to use. Care to join?"

Heather offered her chocolate sauce and cream cheese splattered palm out to Naya. She smiled coyly.

"Depends…" she simply replied.

"On what?" Heather asked with a slight pout.

"If I'll come out looking like you."

Heather laughed and rolled her eyes at Naya before grabbing her hand and pulling her to the back.

"Oh come on, drama queen."

* * *

><p>"Hey! Stop eating everything and make yourself useful!" Heather laughed out at Naya as she kicked the oven door closed, carrying two hot muffin tins with dense molten, chocolate heart-shaped cakes.<p>

"You said I was the taste tester! I'm simply doing my job," Naya said mouth filled with an apple, cinnamon danish. She was sitting on top of the side counter, dishing out on the dozens of goodies surrounding her.

"Oh! I get to test that next!" Naya pointed excitedly to the tins Heather still had in her oven mitted hands.

Heather laughed at a Naya lovingly. The small brunette had kicked off her heels and placed them over by her bag about five minutes into their baking rampage. When the heat got to her as well, she tied her hair in a messy bun in attempts to cool her off. And after she jokingly complained too many times about her dress getting dirty whenever Heather playfully flicked some flour or cocoa powder in her direction, Heather finally draped Kaitlyn's apron around Naya's neck. Once the apron was on, a different but still adorable version of Naya emerged… Naya, the pig.

It was nice to see her so at ease and willing to get a little messy. Not to mention the tiny woman had the appetite of three full grown men. Heather had no idea where all that food went to. She thought Naya had never looked more beautiful.

"It's not even ready yet! You have to wait for them to cool. Remember, I told you to read the recipe for the glaze."

Normally, Heather liked to improvise when baking cause recipes were annoying; she thought it was like following rules. But these cakes were one of the café's specialties. She couldn't ruin tradition.

Naya sat up straighter and saluted to Heather with the hand not holding her danish, "Yes, ma'am."

She hopped down from the counter and popped the rest of the flaky pastry into her mouth. She picked up the recipe card on the island and spotted an unfinished congealing mixture on the stove. Naya took the whisk still inside the pan and gave a light stir. She made a curious face at the contents.

"What was this supposed to be?" she lifted the whisk up, letting the liquid drip back into the bowl.

Heather turned back to Naya.

"Oh," she said walking back to the stove next to Naya, "I was attempting to make some éclairs, but I wasn't too sure about the recipe."

"Don't like following rules much, do you?" Naya asked continuing to stir the contents.

Heather watched Naya, a large smile spreading her lips. She was amazed how this girl knew her so well already.

"No… Not at all," she said softly.

Naya turned back to Heather, smiling cheekily, "Well, then… let's break the rules. Teach me how, teacher."

Heather chuckled as she turned the heat back on.

The two laughed and flirted freely as they mixed up a recipe they were hoping would eventually turn out to be something edible. When they got to the flour, Heather playfully brushed some on Naya's adorable button nose. She let Naya do most of the work as she gave her "teaching" advice whenever applicable. They took turns slowly folding the contents in at the end to fully blend the dough together.

"Why did you give up dancing?" Naya asked in the middle of their conversation casually during Heather's turn mixing. She looked up from her spoon.

"Oh…" Heather thought to herself and ended up shrugging, "Hard time finding work…"

Naya looked at her curiously.

"I feel like that's not the whole story."

Heather offered the spoon to Naya who took her spot mixing slowly while she set up to make the cream filling.

Heather nodded, "It was my mom too… She was a little more concerned than I was about my whole financial situation. I mean, being a dancer is not the most consistent job. But I had my fair share in the fun of it all… I did the whole chorus girl thing in some small movies, taught a few classes here and there, I was a backup dancer on a couple tours, I even went on one of those lame dance competition TV shows…"

Heather chuckled at herself at the memory of her young, naïve self, auditioning for _So You Think You Can Dance_. Naya smiled at her.

"Really?"

"Yeah, weird I know… I just did it because my friend did. As you can tell, it didn't turn out so well," Heather giggled lightly as she poured milk to steam in the sauce pan. When it came to a boil she turned down the heat and cracked in three eggs and poured in some sugar.

"They obviously missed out on someone with a lot of talent," Naya said softly. Heather blushed at the compliment and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"They were the experts though. I wasn't what they were looking for, and you know that happens all the time," Heather replied dismissively. "Besides, I could be horrible for all you know… You've never seen me dance."

"I highly doubt you're horrible."

Naya was looking intensely at Heather. There was an odd mixture of sadness and comfort in her eyes that made something inside Heather twist with jitters.

"Yeah, well… I was in constant unemployment. Times were tough and I needed the money. I had to bring my head down from the clouds I was floating in and come back to reality," Heather finally concluded sadly. On a more hopeful note she added, "Luckily, I found this place. Reese really saved my life hiring me so quickly. Some things work out for the best."

She looked down at her fingers that were fiddling with a thin vanilla bean pod. Naya watched her quietly for a moment. She observed the sad loss in her eyes you normally see in your grandfather's when he's regaling to you of his glory days when he used to play football or baseball or something. Naya thought she was too young to already have that look in her eyes.

"That maybe all true, but you still didn't answer my question," Naya finally said. Heather looked back up to her, eyebrows knitted in confusion. Naya pushed away from their perfectly made dough and walked closer to Heather.

"You gave me a whole bunch of excuses on why you _quit_ dancing… I wanted to know why you _gave up_ dancing," Naya told her softly as she plucked the vanilla bean from Heather's hand and examined it herself.

Heather pursed her lips in thought as she let her mind mull over what Naya pointed out to her. She hadn't really thought about all of this for a long time. She remembered promising herself how she would find a way to dance again, but it's been a year… one long year without dance. It was always put on the back burner. But in her heart, she knew she could never truly give up dancing. Heather began to speak her own thoughts aloud without realizing it.

"I… I guess I never gave it up really…" she admitted to herself and she was too much in her own head to see Naya smile at her answer. "I mean, I've always had the intention of going back… but I think I must have gotten lost somewhere along the way."

Heather looked back to Naya and smiled at her gratefully with the next words she said, "Thankfully, I just recently got pointed back in the right direction."

This time it was Naya's turn to be bashful and look down from Heather's sparkling, hopeful blue eyes. Heather beamed brightly at Naya, her eyes traveling down to the vanilla bean still clasped in her hand. An idea popped in her head and she looked over to the clean, white orchids still standing pristinely over where Naya had dropped off her things. Heather slipped the vanilla bean back from Naya's fingers and tapped her nose with the end of it.

"I have an idea."

Naya watched as Heather walked over to the small blooming orchid. Heather lowered a branch down to her nose and took in the vanilla perfume wafting from the nectar of the fresh buds. She plucked five of the buds from the plant and came back to the stove. She turned the heat back on and gave her vanilla cream filling a couple more gentle whisks. She took the vanilla bean her and Naya had both toyed with and made a careful cut down the length of the pod, releasing the natural, pasty spice inside. After adding the black vanilla beans into the mixture, she then began to stir the filling while slowly dropping the small bundles of white petals one at a time. Naya watched curiously as Heather continued to add the orchids into the mixture, the strong scent of comforting vanilla filling the warm kitchen.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Naya questioned as she stood closely to Heather's side, peering over her shoulder.

Heather shrugged, not entirely sure herself.

"I have no idea… I guess we'll have to wait and see," she chuckled. "I was thinking that the vanilla from the orchids could be strained out of the buds from the heat. Then we can kinda sift the petals and all the nonedible stuff out, ya know?"

"Well, I trust your expertise," Naya said with a smirk.

Heather snorted, "Not so sure if that's such a smart idea."

When the mixture had thickened to a satisfactory texture, Heather turned off the heat and took the pan off the stove. She continued to mix slowly, doing what she said and plucking out any noticeable inedible particles. Once the creamy filling had cooled enough, Heather grabbed a clean wooden spoon and dipped it in.

"Moment of truth," she said with her lopsided grin.

She swiped a bit of the cream off the spoon with her finger and let her tongue make a small flick at the sweet concoction. She didn't notice Naya eye her hungrily as she pursed her lips and widened her eyes in surprise. Her senses were overwhelmed with the perfect blend of the creamy lightness of the filling and the intoxicating flavor of vanilla. This new flavor of vanilla was bold and tasted almost exotic.

"Not bad…" Heather said contentedly as she nodded, "And I'm not dying from food poisoning or anything, so that's a good sign…"

Naya chuckled at Heather.

"Here," Heather offered the spoon kindly to Naya for her to taste.

She stepped forward, locking eyes with Heather whose heart suddenly beat faster from the unidentifiable haze in Naya's mocha orbs. Naya took Heather's hand holding the spoon and lowered it slightly before she reached out with her other hand and encircled Heather's wrist gingerly. Naya came even closer to Heather until the only heat she could feel was from the smaller brunette's body. She never tore her eyes away from Heather's as Naya brought her hand to her mouth. Naya slowly took the tip of her finger between her lips, sucking the remnants of the vanilla filling from her skin.

Heather gulped as she watched Naya. She felt sweat tickle at the back of her neck and a fuzzy feeling buzz up and down and throughout her entire body. Heather, in fear, could only identify it as arousal. She had to let out a small gasp as she felt Naya's silky tongue run over the pad of her finger. Everything was hot… her index finger literally felt like it was on fire. And Heather's heart… it was about to burst out of her chest. She was positive Naya could hear it by that familiar smirk on her lips. _Those fucking lips…_ Heather thought. She definitely wouldn't mind licking, sucking, and kissing those lips.

Naya finally slipped Heather's fingers from her lips with the faintest pop… But she didn't let her go that easily. She let Heather's finger linger on the pad of her lower lip, sliding it down the soft cushion of it, before completely letting her pull away. Now that she was free, Heather had to brace herself against the side of the island.

"Yum…" Naya finally husked teasingly, licking her lips to further torture Heather. "I think you've got yourself a new amazing recipe."

"Uh… Uh-huh…" Heather managed out, still staring at Naya's lips.

Naya looked to Heather softly, but more seriously. She slid the wooden spoon easily from Heather's slack fingers and placed it back in the bowl of cream filling. Naya gently moved Heather backward until she was pressed into the side of the island. Placing her hands on either side of Heather's hips on the counter, she pinned her there and pressed their bodies flush into each other. Heather swallowed thickly, stunned at how things had turned so suddenly… not that she was complaining.

It must of have been something in the air. It was so potent… Everything was so warm and hazy and so… wonderfully vanilla. It was like everything they had been feeling for each other had been released from its bottled confinement and visibly hovered in the air of the Black Horse Café's little kitchen. Heather's lopsided grin spread back on her lips as a deep, rosy flush tinted her cheeks. Her heart was beating so quickly as Naya smiled sweetly to her. They were so close… Heather could feel the soft puff of Naya's breathing on her cheeks and the slightest pulse of her own heart that strangely seemed the lull to the same time as Heather's.

Naya bit nervously at her supple lower lip before she finally broke the silent tension.

"I lied…" she choked out. Heather leaned back slightly to look at Naya as she furrowed her eyebrows. Naya had the tiniest, most shy smile that Heather had ever seen. She had almost missed it because she was so distracted by her close proximity. Heather remained silent as Naya continued to explain.

"I lied about coming here… It took me an extra thirty minutes to drive here when I could have been home in about fifteen. The thing is…" Naya swallowed nervously before looking deeply into Heather's eyes. That calm ocean blue seemed to calm her. "I can't tear myself away from this place. All night long at that party, I kept thinking how much I'd rather be here than with a bunch of people I could care less about. At first I thought it was just because yesterday I didn't spend my usual time here and everything… I'm so used to our routine. But then… that didn't explain how I occasionally catch myself driving by like a complete creeper hoping that the lights will be on."

Naya blabbered about helplessly. She wasn't used to pouring out these types of intimate feelings she had always kept so secret. But Heather smiled gently to her; it encouraged her to continue on. With a deep breath, Naya told her Latte Girl what she wanted to tell her all night.

"I've realized that it isn't this place, or the prices, or the coffee that keeps me so attached… I keep coming back because of you."

Naya waited to watch the blonde's response, but her expression remained the same… willing to listen.

"Remember, when I told you I liked you?"

Heather could only nod shyly at the memory. She recalled feeling like her heart would flutter away out of her chest… much like how she felt right now.

"I know that it's only been a week, and that this all sounds crazy. Believe me, I'm normally never like this, it's just…" Naya scoffed at herself and shook her head, "I kept trying to figure you out. I was constantly trying to pin you as someone else, but the more I got to know you the more I loved what I found. Everyone else may think it's ridiculous to feel this way after a week, but with you I feel like I've somehow known you for so much longer…"

Heather gulped. It was her turn to be nervous. The more Naya spoke her feelings to her, the more Heather felt the urge to tell Naya everything.

"I really, _really_ like you," Naya told her seriously, those espresso brown orbs searching out Heather's. She then added with a smirk, "Beyond customer service care."

Heather smiled shyly.

"I hope you don't think this is freaky. I just figured the truth is better than a whole bunch of pretending."

That was all it took. She had to tell her. Stuff like this… you don't get to hear such lovely things like this every day. Heather had just admitted to herself that she had deeper feelings for Naya other than friendly just yesterday. Now here she was reciprocating those feelings? Yeah… this stuff definitely doesn't happen every day. Naya was making her second guess everything she knew about herself within the matter of days. Everything was throwing Heather off into uncharted waters; all this unpredictability wasn't anything she was used to. But with Naya, she didn't feel so alone. With her so close, Heather felt like she could swim forever in this pool of unpredictable bliss.

Heather looked away from Naya's eyes for a moment as her mind began to turn viciously. She bit at her lower lip as she tried to remember all those different ways she had rehearsed telling her from earlier that day, but she seemed to have forgotten every single one.

Naya shifted nervously under Heather's silence, "Please… say something?"

Heather snapped out of her reverie when Naya spoke, resting her eyes back on her… When she did her line of vision landed on those supple lips. She slowly traced her eyes back up her face, outlining that gentle curving jawline, those baby soft cheeks, her button nose that still had a little dusting of flour on it, and all the way up to those deep brown eyes mixed with uncertainty and hope. Heather smiled weakly to her. Naya had just pushed their relationship to an entirely new level by giving her honesty… Heather could only do the same. Finally, all this was going to end… whether it be bad or good, Heather could only hope for the latter.

"I haven't been completely honest with you either…" her voice had the slightest waver and she could feel her hands becoming slick against the marble island counter. Naya creased her eyebrows at her first choice in words. That wasn't exactly what she was expecting or hoping to hear… Heather took a deep breath and just let it all out quickly.

"I totally could have made it to your party. My last customer left around 5:30..." Naya raised a surprised brow, but Heather quickly continued, "Please hear me out. It… It was all so stupid… For one, I had absolutely nothing to wear. I would have looked like a homeless person standing next to you. Secondly, I-I was so nervous and scared… because going meant admitting my feelings for you… That I like you…" when Heather said the last part she began to slow down. Heather hadn't noticed, but Naya slowly began to smile as she watched the girl fluster about adorably. She even had to suppress a giggle at one point.

"I realize now that it was a dumb thing to worry about," Heather said softly, and closed her eyes nervously as she said, "And thirdly—"

Naya quickly pressed her finger to Heather's lips to silence her. She shook her head and chuckled lightly.

"I don't care about the third reason… You were right saying it was stupid. You would have _definitely_ looked way hotter than me."

"Naya—"

"Whatever other reasons you have left stuffed in your back pocket, I could care less," Naya said more seriously.

Heather furrowed her eyebrows in frustration. She needed to get this off of her chest, or she would do something crazy… Like bang her head against the wall or scream out the window or something.

"But it's the most important one, Naya. It's something I've wanted to tell you for a long time now."

Naya simply smiled, and nodded. However, she was completely unaware of the internal battle going on in Heather's head. She selfishly was only thinking about one thing…

"Okay…" she husked softly. "But can it wait for just a minute? I kinda need your lips to be still for what I'm about to do next…"

The breath caught in Heather's lungs, completely surprised with Naya's words. Heather felt like she was in another one of her dreams again, like when Naya walked into her coffee shop that first day. It was almost like a make-believe fantasy where the boy gets the girl or where Cinderella marries her Prince Charming… Those kinds of fairytale fantasies that aren't supposed to happen to simple people like Heather. _Naya makes one amazing Prince Charming…_ Heather childishly thought.

Naya gently lowered Heather's chin slightly before leaning forward slowly. Naya chanced one more glance up at Heather's eyes which had already fluttered closed. The smallest most content smile spread on her lips as she closed the gap.

It was the lightest, most gentle kiss Heather had ever had the pleasure in receiving. It was almost like a kiss from the wind with their lips barely touching. Those plump lips ever ghosting over her own as she parted hers slightly in attempts to taste a little more of that delicious flesh… And it baffled Heather, because she never believed flesh to taste delicious until Naya pressed her lips so chastely to hers. She had guessed right… Naya tasted much more heavenly than any tea blend they had in their entire inventory.

Naya was about to push forward and deepen the kiss hungrily, but she felt an uncomfortable buzzing against her thigh. Her eyes fluttered open disappointedly and she leaned back slightly. Heather on the other hand, still had her eyes closed, anticipating (rather wishing) for more.

"You're vibrating…" Naya breathed out in a rasp against her lips.

"Uh-huh… I know…" Heather unconsciously replied.

Naya had to bite back at her bubbling giggle. She thought she couldn't be more adorable, but her Latte Girl was constantly proving her wrong. She cleared her throat as she tried to compose herself.

"Um… no. Your phone?" Naya got Heather's attention and she blinked out of her daze. "It's vibrating."

"Oh… Oh!" Heather snapped herself out of it and laughed at herself in embarrassment; her cheeks completely flushed crimson and the tips of her ears a light shade of pink. She fished her phone out of her apron pocket. "Sorry…"

Naya simply chuckled, "Way to be a boner killer…"

Heather smiled brightly and laughed in agreement with Naya, but her amusement quickly vanished as she saw the name flash on the screen. Naya's laughter died as well as she too saw the familiar name. Her eyes connected back with Heather's as she watched the girl internally fight with herself. Naya waited patiently on what the blonde would do next.

"I…" Heather began, letting out a frustrated sigh, "I should take this…"

Naya clenched her jaw and took a step away from Heather. She forced out a smile.

"Right… of course."

"Naya—" Heather tried, disappointed at how Naya was retreating away.

"It's okay. Take your time," she said simply and Heather hated it how she sounded so indifferent… She could tell she was hurt. Naya had walked around to the other side of the island and absentmindedly began to stir their already mixed éclair batter.

Heather huffed angrily as she tapped her still furiously buzzing phone against her forehead. She finally flipped it open and pressed the answer button.

"What?" Heather practically barked into the receiver, but then recollected herself, "I mean… Hello?"

_"Hey! What's up, Hemo?"_ Heather heard the familiar low voice of Taylor. She had to take the phone away from her ear for a moment as he was shouting over the deafening music playing in the background. She assumed he was at some baseball party or club…

"Taylor, I could barely hear you…" she said and glanced over at Naya who was trying her best not to look so obvious with her eavesdropping.

_"Yah! Sorry babe… it's kinda loud in here." _He slurring terribly.

"You're drunk," she stated in annoyance and pinched the bridge of her nose. She had never been this frustrated with this boy more in her life.

_"Naw… alright, maybe a little," _he chuckled annoyingly. _"You know I can't lie to ya… You always know me too well."_

Heather didn't reply. She simply rolled her eyes at his immaturity. She was totally over this whole act they were putting up.

_ "Come on, Hemo! Live a little! Gimme a break… Tell me, how's my numba one favorite girl on the west coast doin'?" _

"I haven't been your 'number one favorite girl' in a long time, Taylor," she said pointedly. Naya couldn't help but look up at Heather, never hearing her speak that way before.

_"What are you talking it about?" _he chuckled, still oblivious. _"You're always my number one."_

"Right… like Hailey is your number one? Or like Katie, or Kelly, or whoever else you sleep with for the night?" Heather mocked in anger.

_ "Heather…" _he spoke more softly. _"Don't be like that. You… you know I still love you."_

Heather didn't know if the alcohol was making him speak more truthfully or if he was playing these games with her again.

"Why do you call, Taylor?"

_"You know why, Hemo,"_ he was beginning to joke again. _"Gotta keep up the tradish!"_

"No, Taylor… _Why_ do you keep calling me?" she asked him seriously.

_"Cause, Heather… I'm not ready to let you go yet."_

"You know that's not fucking fair, Taylor…" Heather bit back harshly and she rarely ever cursed at him. "You know that's not fair and I'm tired of all this. You keep me clinging on to the past, Tay. You make me believe that something is still left between us with all these damn phone calls and it hurts, you know? I'm just tired of all of it."

_"Hemo, don't do this right now."_

"No. I am doing this now, because… Because I finally found something amazing," Heather told him firmly. Naya couldn't help her heart as it fluttered in her chest.

"And you're ruining it… literally…" she said bitterly and scuffed her shoe against the tiled floor at what she could be doing right now instead of talking to her ex.

_"Heather… please…" _he sounded desperate, like he was trying so hard to grip on to that last bit of hope and Heather almost caved. Almost… That was until she started to feel sorry for him.

Heather sighed.

"You'll always be my best friend, Taylor. I still care about you, but it isn't like it used to be. I don't live in your stereotypical college world you've made up. While you're off being the baseball star that you are, I'm struggling just paying off my month's rent... We're in different points in our lives right now. Until you realize that, we can't do this anymore."

The line was silent, except for the blaring music and the randoms beckoning out Taylor's name. She knew it was because he was trying to think of something charming to say. Either that or he really had nothing to say at all.

"Call me when you're sober, Taylor. Or better yet, don't call me at all."

_"Hea—_"

She didn't let him finish as she hung up on him and walked over to the flour bag and dropped it in out of sheer annoyance. She needed that to escape from those unsettling feelings of the past. It never did well in her stomach and she didn't want to go about regretting things. She knew what she did was for the best. Heather had to let go… she knew it wasn't going to feel good at first, but eventually she knew she would be happier. She looked up at Naya who was leaning back against the sink arms folded across her chest. _Yes… much happier_, Heather thought. Her expression was unreadable as she averted Heather's gaze. Heather had to bite her lip nervously and fiddled with her apron strings, not sure if she had completely ruined everything by the fault of a drunk ex-boyfriend.

Naya finally looked up at her and gave a small smile.

"Well, he certainly has impeccable timing…"

Heather let out a soft laugh in relief.

"And I thought I was a crazy ex-girlfriend," Naya continued to try to lighten the mood and Heather smiled weakly to her at what she was trying to do.

"Listen, Naya. I really am sorry—"

Naya waved it away again, "No need to apologize."

"Please…" Heather stopped her. "I need you to know that I don't have those feelings for him anymore. Of course I did love him, but it's time for me to move on. You were right," she said with a shrug, "I was settling."

Naya nodded and smiled supportively, "I'm glad you're moving on."

Heather smiled happily.

"I should get going."

That made her smile falter into a slight frown.

"It's pretty late…" Naya said softly as she gathered her things.

"Right… and I should clean all this up for tomorrow," Heather replied dumbly. She was clearly disappointed as she stuffed her hands into the pockets of the apron.

"I'll unlock the door for you."

Heather waited until Naya slipped her heels back on and untied her apron and gave it back to her. Heather followed her out and unlocked the front door for her, holding it open. Naya suddenly turned around back to Heather.

"Let me take you home?" Naya asked softly, almost shyly. It caught Heather by surprise; she thought Naya had been disappointed with her because of the whole Taylor thing. She smiled.

"Thanks… but like I said. I've gotta clean up that disaster back there. I don't want to keep you waiting."

Naya nodded sadly before opening her bag and digging out a twenty dollar bill.

"Do me a favor then and call a cab to get back home?" Naya stuffed the money into Heather's hand. She shook her head furiously.

"No, Naya. I can't—"

"Please…" Naya told her, clasping her hand. "I don't want you walking around West Hollywood this late at night."

Heather smiled at Naya's fretting and took the money from her.

"Okay."

Naya smiled contentedly and said, "I'll see you Monday then?"

"Yeah, Monday."

"Great," Naya said with a bright smile and turned away to leave. Heather was about to close the door when Naya rushed back.

She cupped Heather's cheek softly and gave her a light, lingering kiss on the corner of her slightly parted mouth. When she pulled away, Heather saw a bright stain of red on her cheeks. She was fairly confident this was the first time she had ever seen Naya truly blush. Naya, now being about the same height as Heather with her heels on, leaned her forehead gently against hers. She whispered out against her cheek.

"Sorry… I had forgotten my kiss goodbye."

Heather chuckled softly.

"It wouldn't be a proper date if I forgot," Naya said in the quietest whisper. Heather bit her lip.

"Yeah… that's a good point."

"I really had an amazing time with you tonight."

"Better than cocktails and expensive decorations?" Heather joked.

"Oh, yes. Way better…"

Heather smiled brightly. Naya pulled away reluctantly.

"Monday?"

"Yes," Heather confirmed again with a laugh, "Monday."

Naya began walking to her car as she called out, "Goodnight."

"Night," Heather waved.

Heather watched Naya drive away until she could no longer see her lights. She locked the door and closed the blinds of the windows. After turning off all the lights she returned back to the kitchen. She rested her hands on her hips as her eyes tiredly looked around at the havocked state of the kitchen. She blew up at her bangs in lack of enthusiasm. As she began to organize the baking pans on the far counter her eyes landed back on the white orchids still standing crisply in the corner. Heather smiled weakly. She wished it were already Monday.

* * *

><p>Thanks for your questions! Here are your answers :)<p>

**Brittana-Forever-LOVE:** You suggested that Heather get hit on by another girl while she works… well, I don't wanna give anything away, but we do get to see a jealous Naya because of a certain customer who causes a little trouble.

**Jac Lag:** It's always a pleasure hearing from you and your awesome predictions. I can't believe you're still obsessing over the crush too lol. I'm not so sure you should read _that_ much into it. It will be clarified within a few more chapters. I will tell you that you've guessed right, but I won't say which time you did haha.

**Jaiden:**I love you! You are awesome for rewriting that already amazing rap and making it so much more awesome. So many people have married my brain now, I don't think one more person would hurt!

**PoppieJoy: **I know the kiss wasn't Notebook epic… But I'm hoping you still like it. (After all, I wasn't going to let them kiss till a super long time from now, so be thankful!)

**Defygravity79:** Yes, Naya's last "love/crush" will be revealed. I won't say who, but I think if you guess again you'll get it right. Um… I can't say whether or not Dianna would recognize Heather cause I deal with that in later chapter :D And yes there is more Taylor, I guess this chapter kinda answered that question, but he will appear again after this too. Also, love the long review!


	10. Part 1: Chapter 9

A/N: Hi all! So let me guess… you all hate me right? I would not be surprised... I hate me too for not updating as quickly, but as I said school is certainly catching up to me this quarter. It's been dreadful. As you can see though, I have not forgotten about how amazing you readers are and how important this story is, not only to me, but to all of you. You are all just freakin' fantastic! Almost 400 reviews? Seriously… I can't even begin…

I have so many thanks to all of you. You've given me so much support to continue on and I will. I just ask for your patience. I've got to forewarn everyone about this chapter… it may feel slow. It's definitely a bridge leading into much more troubling waters. I wanted to keep everything together, but it ended up just too cramped and the flow didn't feel right, so I split it. So I apologize for the wait and for giving you one of my rather mediocre chapters I must say, but it's definitely an important one.

I need to give a shout out to all who have commented. Long comments or short comments, I really don't care, it's fabulous to know that you're all enjoying and reading (or just pestering me to post! I know I'm horrible!). But I really have to give a special shout out to **kempokarate12 **who just left the most astounding review I've ever received with fanfiction. I am seriously in awe of you and your attention to detail. Thank you so much!

All of you are fantastic! I'll do my best to update quicker! And those waiting for liar/saint… you may have to keep waiting a while longer for that one (sorry!). Also, fossil_10, always love ya babe :)

Questions at the end and enjoy!

Disclaimer: This fic is RPF! I do not own anything, this is a complete work of fiction. I DO NOT know either of these women nor am I affiliated with Glee or its creators. I also do not own the song "Taylor, The Latte Boy," by Kristin Chenoweth which this fic is loosely based on. These two are not a couple… unfortunately.

**The Latte Girl  
>Chapter 9<strong>

Heather fell to the ground. She felt nothing as her mind drifted away with her body. It felt amazing to finally let go of everything with every pulsing beat and melodic note that hung thick in the perspiration filled air. She whipped herself back up effortlessly, defying gravity and breaking away from all the shadows holding her back. Leaping across the dance floor in perfect timing to the music, she felt unbreakable. The song rolled through her body like a wave, cascading hard and exploding out and around her. She wasn't thinking… her mind was blank, except for one thought: how much she's missed this. As she landed and made her final pirouette she smiled contentedly. She released a deep breath and threw her arms around herself. She hugged herself, thankful for her body, her life, and what God has given her the talent to do. Dance.

Her breath came out in slightly uneven puffs, a little winded from the somewhat complex choreography the instructor gave to them. Oh how she had missed this… Since that day she started up dancing again, she couldn't believe how much she had lost when she had quit a year ago. She couldn't even really believe how she let herself quit. She owed everything to Naya. Heather's large smile pulled into smaller shy one as she thought of last night. She felt, indescribable. There was a mixture of so many emotions coursing through her that she couldn't fathom how her little brain could take it. She really was one of the luckiest people on the planet right now as she continued to replay how Naya's lips brushed so carefully against hers. She didn't think anyone could make her feel this way so quickly until she met this amazing actress... no, this amazing person.

Without her, she would have never had the impulse to call up her old friend and teacher Brian. He engulfed her into a sweaty hug as she started to stretch out her legs again. For the past few classes he would pull Heather aside for some advice on a certain move or piece of choreography. He knew Heather well. The Heather he remembered best was the lanky little Arizona native who had just turned seven, had no front teeth, and had the brightest head of golden locks he'd ever seen. Even with her gangly limbs, he saw a great sense of coordination, balance, and most of all talent. She quickly began dancing circles around all the girls in her age groups. When his star pupil called that she wanted back on the floor after her long absence, he definitely took advantage of her experience. She happily helped whenever she could with some of the bigger projects he had in store. In compensation, Heather would ask for a little time after class to have the studio to herself. It was the perfect bargain. She always loved an empty floor to simply lose herself on. All she needed was some music and the mirror, and she was content.

After she had thanked Brian for today's class and the rest of the dancers dissipated from the studio, she was left with only her mixed CD playing gently from the stereo. She restretched her loose muscles as her mind began to wander back to last night once she got home. Heather took in a deep breath and tried to dance off her thoughts again, but for some reason she couldn't get her damn roommate's words out of her head. It made her dance harder as they echoed louder:

_"Oh no… you're home…" Ashley groaned as she half walked and half stumbled into their house. She may have been a little tipsy from going out with a few friends for some drinks._

_ "Yup," Heather chirped happily as she snacked on her huge carton of gold fish crackers sitting between her knees. The size was meant for a family or for a long camping trip, but leave it to Heather to finish one whole massive carton on her own. After she had finished cleaning up everything in the kitchen and set up all the pastries for tomorrow, Heather did as she promised to Naya and called a cab. When she got home she shuffled up to take a nice long shower, pulled on her jammies and her favorite socks, and plopped in front of the TV to catch whatever was left of that night's episode of Saturday Night Live._

_ "Why are you home?" Ashley lectured loudly as she dropped herself into the seat next to Heather on the couch. Heather noted she obviously didn't know how to control her volume, having to lean away from the other girl's yelling._

_ "Because… I live here?" Heather tried to joke, too happy to care about Ashley's rather drunken state. She normally wouldn't have laughed at Heather's try at being sarcastic, but the comment blew right over Ashley's intoxicated head._

_ "Duh, I realize that. But you know where you should be right now?" Ashley whispered like it was a big secret._

_ Heather rolled her eyes and ate another handful of smiling fishies. When she didn't say anything, Ashley didn't hesitate to answer her own question._

_ "You should be at Naya's place, naked, in her bed, and doing stuff with her that's not suitable for children…"_

_ Heather cringed and threw a gold fish at her._

_ "God, stop it… I forget that your mind gets extra dirty when you're drunk…"_

_ Ashley continued to snicker, but then stopped when Heather's expression didn't change. She tried her hardest to recollect herself and be serious for her friend. She cleared her throat and tried to sit up straighter. She mocked Heather by playing psychologist and folded her hands neatly across her lap._

_ "So I take it you didn't go to her party?" Ashley sighed in a disappointed fake British accent. Heather rolled her eyes._

_ "No…"_

_ "And how do you feel about that?" Ashley continued with her little act, pretending to adjust an invisible pair of spectacles on her face. Heather scoffed at her. Instead of letting the blonde answer, Ashley continued. _

_ "Well, I'll tell you how you should feel, dear hopeless hag," Heather leered at her. "You should feel like shit, because you didn't do as your good doctor advised," Ashley said, referring to herself._

_ "On the contrary creepy Carl Rogers… I actually had a pretty amazing time at work," Heather replied with a glint in her eyes as she thought of Naya._

_ Ashley raised her eyebrow in question. Heather reluctantly caved and regaled shyly to Ashley's drunken self of the events that had happened in the past few hours. Unfortunately she had to back track and elaborate on a few details, but once the story was told there was no taking it back; nor was there any way to wipe away that ridiculous smile from her lips. Ashley on the other hand did not look impressed. In fact the only thing she heard from the entire story was:_

_ "So you didn't tell her?" Ashley clarified. Heather chewed on the corner of her mouth nervously._

_ "No…" and Ashley groaned. "Oh come on! If you were in my shoes you would have blanked out too... It's a little hard when she gets all close to you and smells so..." Heather's minds drifts momentarily causing Ashley's eyebrow to rise even higher, "…vanilla…" _

_ Heather snapped out of her daze and side glanced to Ashley who was still brooding._

_ "I was about to tell her, but then she caught me off guard…"_

_ "By seducing you?" _

_ "She didn't seduce me… she just… kissed me," Heather retorted, that stupid smile creeping back. It was like she had some sort of tick how that smile kept coming back. She shook her head trying to get some sense into her vanilla filled brain._

_ "Wow… you're no better than a sex-crazed teenage boy," Ashley snorted._

_ "I must have also forgotten how Drunk Ashley is also heartless…" Heather mumbled. Ashley suddenly stood up and glared over at Heather who coward away from the obviously frustrated brunette._

_ "This was the perfect opportunity you know? What happened to, 'I'm gonna fix it as soon as I get her in my perfect little environment?'"_

_ "I didn't say it like that…" Heather bit back._

_ "Whatever! The more you drag this on the worse it's gonna get! It probably would have been easier tonight. You even had her all loose and easy by doing your weird version of flirting with food… but nooo… Someone had to think with their dick and not their brain!" Ashley slapped her crotch lewdly in emphasis. Heather cringed._

_ "Will you stop referring to me as some sort of horny college dude? I'm not a guy who wants to bang every hot girl he sees!" Heather tried. _

_ "Might as well be…" Ashley mumbled to herself, unheard by Heather. The short brunette folded her arms tightly across her chest._

_ "Look I'm sorry… But there's only so much you can do when all you can see are Naya Rivera's fucking lips in your line of view…" _

_ Heather momentarily let her mind wander to the memory touch of Naya's lips tickling hers when Ashley literally fumed. Not knowing what else to do, her frustrated and still very drunk friend snatched Heather's box of gold fish from limp hands. Heather nearly jumped in surprise. Ashley began to blubber unidentifiable words, her tongue slurring about messily in her mouth. She finally let out another frustrated squeal._

_ "No more gold fish for you!" she shouted, pointing a finger in Heather's face before stomping off to the kitchen. _

_ Heather sat dumbfounded, eyes still wide in shock with her friend's sudden unintelligible outburst. She was left muddled in her own confused thoughts. Feelings of the exciting unknown and uncertain doubt filled every fiber in her body. She didn't leave from the couch the entire night. Heather was stuck again, with only the comfort of Kristen Wiig to gently lull her into sweet dreams of her mystifying brunette with mocha brown eyes._

Heather sprang out and landed a perfect no-handed kart-wheel. She continued to lash out on the wood paneled dance floor in search for solutions to countless questions she had stuffed in her brain. With her cluttered mind and busy feet she didn't notice the second party in the room closely observing her out-of-control, yet still graceful movements. A gentle smile played on the outsiders lips.

Heather was in the middle of her splits when she heard the sound of clapping echoing over her music. She turned her head to the door where the applause was coming from and her eyes immediately lit up at the unexpected guest. Her lips spread into the widest smile as she jumped up and ran over to her friend.

"Encore please!"

"Zach!" Heather exclaimed as she nearly threw herself into the awaiting arms of her old friend. His familiar chuckle rumbled into her shoulder.

"All my years in this business and I still can't find anyone who can do a handless cartwheel and land into the splits like you can…" he told her happily.

"Maybe you're losing your eyesight, old man. We're in Hollywood… there's thousands of starving, talented dancers hiding in quiet places," Heather joked as she pulled away from him.

"Nah, you're just one-of-a-kind, Hemo. There's no one else that I've met that is up to par with your acrobatics."

Heather looked down bashfully at Zach's compliments.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well, I heard a little whisper going around that a certain blonde, leggy dancer has come back to the L.A. dance scene and I thought perhaps it could be my blonde leggy dancer?" Zach explained as he tapped Heather's nose.

"Brian told you, didn't he?"

"Yeah, also turns out the dance scene in L.A. is a pretty small world," he said smiling coyly, "News travels fast."

Heather shakes her head with a smile. It was so typically Brian. He could never keep things to himself.

"So let me get a good look at you!" Zach exclaimed and Heather stood back, giving him a small pirouette.

"You look good, but thin…" Zach lectured fatherly. Heather rolled her eyes at him.

"You sound like my mother…"

"And you should listen to what your mother says! Mothers always know best, hon. And I need you to look your finest!"

Heather furrowed her eyebrows.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'll tell you after you explain your sudden disappearance over the last year."

Heather sighed, knowing explaining all this to Zach was inevitable. The two plopped back down on the floor so Heather could give her story about what she had been up to after her unfortunate outcome on the set of _Glee_. Zach helped her stretch out her legs while he listened intently. By the end of what she thought was a rather boring tale, Zach had propped his chin in his palm and looked up to Heather with a raised eyebrow.

"So explain to me how serving coffee is better pay than being a dancer?"

Heather shrugged.

"I dunno, but it seemed to satisfy my mom. She hasn't complained since. Besides it isn't all that bad… I actually love it. There are a lot of awesome things about _just _serving coffee…"

Zach snorted.

"Like?"

"Well…" Heather began to explain thoughtfully. "I love working with people for one, and the job is really all about working with customers. You get to meet some very interesting characters in the shop every now and again…"

Heather smiled to herself as she thought of Naya.

"Yeah… definitely some interesting people…" she said quietly.

Zach looked curiously to Heather's dreamy state. Realizing she stopped talking she blinked out of her daze and cleared her throat.

"And I get to take home some pretty delicious blends, not to mention I love my coworkers… there's a lot of pluses. Making people smile by doing something as simple as making a cup of coffee makes it all worthwhile. I don't know… I guess it's all from a subjective point of view. But, enough about me… What's going on with you? What brings you here?"

"Well…" Zach began excitedly as he sat up straighter, "As you very well know, _Glee_ turned out to be much more of a hit than we anticipated.

"I know! Congratulations!" Heather told him happily with a wide smile. Sure she'll always be a little sad that she didn't make the show, but she was truly happy for her friend's success. It would give him great exposure. Besides, not making the show didn't really matter… she got her girl anyways. Heather smiled wider at this thought.

"Oh no, honey…" Zach shook his head and Heather frowned in confusion. "This show is kicking my ass. Of course I love it… but I swear these kids have been my biggest endeavor as a choreographer yet."

Heather quietly nodded understandingly.

"I mean, I'm working with a giant that isn't aware of his own height, chatter mouths, kids with short attention spans, and a wheel chair. Not to mention they're all _actors…_ if you know what I'm getting at," Heather scrunches her mouth knowingly. "Ryan definitely had my work cut out for me… and I just think sometimes how nice it would be to have someone in the cast with a little more experience."

Zach had this glint in his eyes that led Heather to believe he had something hidden up his sleeve, but was waiting for the opportune moment to tell her. It was one of those weird games Zach liked to play to build up suspense and overdramatize things he was really excited about. Heather just went along with it. Just like old times…

"Well, you've got that girl who plays Valerie. She can do backflips for days," Heather noted as she thought about the cute, but silent redhead who was commonly known as "Santana's friend" or better yet, "Santana's minion." Ashley favored the latter of the two.

"True. Lexi is extremely talented… but she's pretty introverted. She likes to hide in the background as we've all come to realize how she's not a big fan of the spotlight. So it's a little tough when I need help explaining something and try to rely on her to help the others. Unfortunately, I could tell her passions lie elsewhere."

Heather cocked her head to the side curiously at Zach's analysis of the mute side character and also apparently washed out actress.

"That's none of my business though," Zach waved off and then said concernedly, "I know it may be tough seeing her on screen time to time…"

Heather lowered her gaze as that old topic was brought up again. She knew she should have expected it to be. She always did her best not to think about it, but it's sort of difficult when Glee is such a big thing right now… It also is her favorite show; that aspect doesn't help either.

"It's not a big deal, Zach. Honestly… it's hard to be sad about something that I never had in the first place. It's in the past now and I'm ready to move on to a different part of my life," she said firmly.

"You've grown up so much…" Zach said in admiration and Heather smiled to him. "I guess that makes my next question a little awkward then."

Heather scrunched her eyebrows together.

"Zach, what's going on?"

Zach was seriously bubbling with excitement comparable to a child on Christmas morning. Heather stared at him wide-eyed at his rather uncharacteristic expressions.

"Okay! I just can't hold it in anymore!" he said enthusiastically and Heather laughed at his giddiness. "I have a very exciting proposition for you!"

This made Heather raise an eyebrow.

"I want you to come back to Glee."

Heather opened her mouth, but simply choked on air. She wasn't quite sure what she was expecting Zach to say, but it certainly wasn't this…

"Really?" she let out in confusion.

Zach began to control himself a little more from Heather's response. He told her gently, "I understand that it still may be a little of a sore spot for you, and if it reopens any old wounds I'm sorry… but I believe that this is an opportunity of a lifetime for you, Hemo."

Heather chewed on her lower lip nervously, not knowing how or what to feel. Should she be excited for the opportunity? Should she feel offended to be asked to come back when already being rejected once? Or should she be terrified of the actress there whom she could potentially hurt if she said yes?

"What… what exactly does the job entail?" Heather asked trying to put her thoughts together into understandable reasoning.

"I was wondering if you could come back as my little muse for just one more time," Zach explained. "I want you to help me on a new piece that I believe is right up your alley. It's a huge number and I have to organize a lot of people… I need as much help as I can get with this one and I know for a fact that I can trust you with something of this scale."

Heather sighed, feeling more torn than ever before. It didn't help at all how tempting Zach was making this sound…

"I don't know if this is such a good idea Zach… they rejected me once before. They didn't think my dancing was enough to make the cut. What makes you think all those producers and bald headed creators have changed their minds?"

Zach waved his hand again at Heather's weariness.

"This is under my terms, Hemo. I get to employ whoever I see fit for the job at hand and I choose to hire you. Believe me when I say this: you're it. This isn't an audition or an interview, Heather. I basically already have your resume memorized by now and I know you're qualified. This is a job position being handed right to you and you fit it like a glove."

"Zach—" Heather tried to protest. She didn't like people feeling obliged to give her work when they thought she was having a hard time, but Zach seemed to have read her mind.

"You're not my charity project to resemble my reach out to all struggling dancers… Yes, I may still feel a little bad from our last instance together, but it doesn't reflect my decision to come to you if I didn't think you could do it. And I know you can," Zach spoke firmly. Heather swore he had more confidence in her than she did. Of course she wanted the job… this was something she often dreamed of absentmindedly every Tuesday night after she watched the newest episode of Glee. And it wasn't the fact that she wasn't capable of doing it… she was sure she could get by. First off, there was Naya to worry about and secondly she wasn't anywhere near here dance capabilities of last year. She wished she had a little more time. She had after all, _just_ made her return to the floor. She was still a little shaky on her toes.

"I can't dance like I used to… I'm used up goods."

"Heather… you can't be serious? The dancing I just saw you do minutes ago is the best I've ever seen you dance before. In fact it's some of the best dancing I've seen from any professional around here in a while."

Heather blushed again from the compliment, but Zach could tell she still wasn't swayed. Something was holding her back and he couldn't figure out what. The Heather he knew a year back would have answered 'yes' in an instance. He could see much has changed…

"Why don't you think about it this way then?" Zach proposed, regaining Heather's attention. "You won't be dancing like some chorus cutie in the background like you used to do for me or anything like that, unless that's what you want to do. In fact, you'll barely be dancing in that sort of way at all."

Heather furrowed her eyebrows at him, not entirely sure where he was going.

He continued softly, "You'll be the one in control now. You're going to be teaching and choreographing these dances with just as much of a say as me."

Heather remained silent for a moment, slightly stunned of what Zach was asking of her. A small, excited smile tugged at the corners of her lips and Zach saw that familiar glint in those blue eyes again.

"A choreographer?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, Heather. A choreographer…" Zach chuckles. "Of course, we won't say that to Ryan. But think of us as partners now."

Heather beamed, her heart beginning to soar upwards in excitement. A co-choreographer? On a hit show like Glee? It was like she couldn't ask for more. But then she thought about Naya and her smile slipped slightly. How could she just show up on set and face her as herself, _Heather Morris_? She knew it would only end up messy… She couldn't bear to see the look of disappointment on Naya's face if things didn't go accordingly when the moment arose and Heather finally told her of her true identity.

"That… that sounds fantastic," Heather finally uttered with a slight ache of sadness in her voice. She was unable to really say much else.

Zach clapped his hands together happily.

"So it's a yes!"

"No," Heather replied immediately. Zach slumped and furrowed his brow.

"No? What's wrong?"

"I can't," she said plainly.

"You… can't?"

Heather chewed her lip painfully as she continued to think about Naya. She searched her mind for a valid excuse, not wanting to tell Zach of her bizarre reunion with the actress.

"I-I can't quit the Black Horse Café… they need me there now more than ever and they've given me so much. It would be unfair to just leave them like that…" Heather finally stated. It wasn't a complete lie… it actually wasn't a lie at all.

"Heather…" Zach sighed.

"I'm sorry, Zach," Heather shrugged again. Feeling the matter had become concrete, she got up to pack her things to leave. "But I'm not the dancer I used to be. I'm all grown up now."

Heather stopped her music which was still playing gently in the background and clicked it back into the clear cover.

"Hey, don't think I'm done giving up on my sales pitch just yet, Morris," Zach pointed at her as she turned around back to him. "Look. I have no idea what happened this past year. Sure, I get that life is tough. We all go through so much shit in a day that we question why we even put up with all of it in the first place. I knew coming here today, that I shouldn't expect anything. But the last thing I thought I would come across is a version of Heather Morris I was confident I would never see: one that has given up on her dreams. I'm still hoping I'm wrong about that because the Heather Morris that I respected was too determined to give up so easily with only a year's worth of discouragement."

Heather looked down, slightly ashamed of herself. She fiddled with the ridged edges of her plastic CD case.

"You can do this, Heather," Zach said, searching her eyes out. "The Heather I know cannot resist something as big as this."

"Don't people always say, 'those who can't do, teach?' It's kinda like a step down isn't it?" Heather pointed out sadly.

"Hey, I do it and you're calling me demoted?" Zach said jokingly.

"I didn't mean it like that…"

"Well, it isn't like that. It's not like you're teaching a ballet class of 8-year-old girls, even though they might as well be…" he muttered the last part and Heather cracked a smile. "You're _creating_ something with your skills and background as a dancer. Teaching just happens to come with the territory and I know you're an excellent teacher. This job can turn your life back onto the path I've always known you've wanted. It may not have been the exact way you would have pictured it happening, but appreciate that it actually _could_ happen at all."

Heather remained silent, unsure of what to say yet again. She knew she shouldn't let her over-concerned self get in the way of what she's always wanted. But after everything she had felt last night… she wasn't so sure anymore. Heather breathed in deeply. She would just take it all one step at a time; it was never wise to get ahead of herself. _Besides, Naya would probably kick my ass if I said no…_ Heather thought with a small smile.

"Say yes, Heather. Come back to your one true love. It misses you… and I think you miss it just as much."

Heather nodded to herself, coming to a solution.

"Okay… I'll do it."

Zach embraced her in a gentle hug and Heather squeezed him back.

"You won't regret this. I promise."

* * *

><p>Thanks again for everyone's amazing questions! Here are your answers! (Hope I got all of them )<p>

**Jac Lag:** You asked about if I ever explained why Naya disliked liars so much… I actually did not and I am still debating whether or not I will cover that. That is simply a detail about her that displays her defensiveness and that she's had history with being hurt and betrayed before. As a reader I give you the freedom to fill in the rest!

**Myriadz:** Yes, there will be angst and soon. However, it is very mild and I'll make it temporary. It's nothing to the extent of my other fic where you seriously want to slit your wrists or cry in a corner because it's so depressing. I'm keeping this as light-hearted and humorous as possible!

**Brunagardel:** I can't say just yet! But it's going to be revealed very soon! (As in next chapter soon!)

**The mrs:** You asked when liar/saint will be updated… uh…. Lol. I hope soon to be honest, but I unfortunately don't have an answer for that as I'm struggling to keep up with school AND getting this story updated. Don't worry, liar/saint isn't abandoned though, just on a temporary hiatus. Hang tight! I know I left them off on a horrible note!


	11. Part 1: Chapter 10

A/N: Surprise! Newest update within a week or so! Quite exciting isn't it? I'm trying to do better. I realize that my last chapter wasn't my strongest and some (many, including myself) were quite disappointed with it. Well, I hope this chapter sorta makes up for the last. Like I said all of this setting up is leading to the big boom which happens at the end of this chapter. Naya is definitely in this chapter and we get to see how she feels after Saturday night. So again, bear with me as we go into the set up.

Just to clarify, I do not dance nor do I really know any technical things with dance. Of course I love watching dance, I think it's wonderful, but as far as writing… not my forte. Sorry if my descriptions kind of suck in that department, but I do love writing Heather as being in charge and involved with the choreography. So tell me what you think or to those who have any dance experience yourself, let me know where I can improve.

Thanks to everyone like always for your reviews. It's been such a blessing writing for everyone and getting such positive feedback thus far. You are simply the best. I've gotten some extremely heartfelt PMs and I am sincerely flattered that I've been able to connect to some of you on that level. It's great to know. Questions at the end as always!

Final note, this chapter does include ANGST! Definitely not as much as Liar/Saint if you've read it, but I'm just preparing you… You have all been warned!

(I've also gotten a message about the mature language in this fic from a helpful reader. Please notify me if anyone requests that I should change the rating to M due to this factor. TIA)

Disclaimer: This fic is RPF! I do not own anything, this is a complete work of fiction. I DO NOT know either of these women nor am I affiliated with Glee or its creators. I also do not own the song "Taylor, The Latte Boy," by Kristin Chenoweth which this fic is loosely based on. These two are not a couple… unfortunately.

**The Latte Girl  
>Chapter 10<strong>

_Zach embraced her in a gentle hug and Heather squeezed him back._

_ "You won't regret this. I promise."_

"You're going to regret this."

"Sunglasses please?" Heather ignored her roommate as she pointed to the pair of shades lying next to Ashley as she sat on Heather's plush bed. The short brunette rudely tossed the pair of cheap red framed sunglasses at her. Heather rolled her eyes as she slipped the item on.

"You realize you're walking straight into hell's bedchambers right now?"

Heather continued to disregard Ashley's comments, too much in her own worried thoughts to retort back. She ruffled her bangs that swept over the brim of her sunglasses. She sighed and pulled them back off before tossing them back on the bed… that look was definitely not going to work. Heather was trying to create some sort of outfit that would hide her persona away from Naya if she happened to bump into her while she was on set. By the looks of things, the day was already not going in her favor due to Ashley's nagging and her apparent inability to make a decision on which damn accessories to wear…

"Do you even know what you're going to say if you see her?" Ashley inquired.

"I'm still working on that…" Heather sighed under her breath. "But currently the mission is not to run into her."

Ashley snorted, "You honestly think you're going to get away with just ignoring her? It's practically inevitable."

Heather continued to dig around her closet, tossing aside an assortment of wigs, random puppet socks, brightly colored costumes and hats. Their crazy outfits had begun to accumulate from whenever her and Ashley got bored and decided to make an impromptu YouTube video. Finally, she fished out an old, faded L.A. Angels baseball cap that probably belonged to Ashley because she's never seen it before. She pulled it on and tugged her ponytail out the back end, tucking stray strands behind her ears. She adjusted the brim of the hat so it rested lower, slightly shadowing her eyes. She nods, figuring she couldn't really do much better.

Ashley had a put on a furry green hat and one of those silly glasses with the moustaches attached that Heather had tossed on the bed during her tirade. When Heather turned around with her choice of attire for the day, Ashley gawked at her.

"A hat? Really? That's your plan?"

Heather turned to Ashley hand on her hip.

"Do you have any better ideas?" she asked sharply.

"Yah, just walk up to her right when you see her and fucking tell her the truth!" Ashley exclaimed throwing her hat at the tall blonde who caught it.

"Okay… if you have nothing supportive or nice to say, then don't say it all!" Heather nearly shouted. She was about to lose it and it was only 7:15 in the morning. "This is something I've dreamed of. It's like you being offered to co-direct a movie with Steven Spielberg and then being asked to star in it. Stuff like this doesn't get asked of you every day. Sure, it's not how I would have liked it to happen and yes it sucks that Naya doesn't know, but I'm gonna take any chance I get."

Ashley sighed in defeat after Heather's cry for her to understand. She did want her friend to succeed on pursuing her dreams and it was true… If she ever had an opportunity like this when it came to her career she would certainly take it, disregarding any feelings of second parties. She picked up Heather's plastic, bright red frames and got up. She rested her silly glasses atop her head as she approached Heather.

"Here," she said slipping them back on to Heather's face. "Double the cover, double the chances of blending in. It's better to hide your eyes because if she likes you as much as I think she does she'll be able to tell who you are with the slightest glimpse at those eyes of yours. I swear they're like fucking light houses."

Heather smiled appreciatively.

"Thanks, Ash."

"Yeah… you're terribly unwelcome…" she muttered and shuffled back down to the kitchen where Heather had brewed their morning pot of coffee.

Heather shook her head at her friend and turned back to the mirror to give herself one final look over. She sighed. With her bright red sunglasses and navy blue baseball cap, she thought she looked so… patriotic. It was the best she was going to do. She had to go into this like a trooper and hope she didn't step on an unexpected mine or two… Oh how she hoped her time on set wouldn't cause any unpleasant explosions.

* * *

><p>Naya parked by the Black Horse Cafe early. She was pretty sure this was the first time she's ever woken up and wasn't in her usual grumpy morning state. She was excited beyond compare to see her Latte Girl this morning. She couldn't wait to see the look on the woman's face when the door jingled and she walked into the warm café. Her expression was contagious and it always made Naya smile wider. But today was a little different... She had to control herself from attacking those perfect, peachy lips. She already had begun to mentally prepare herself since brushing her teeth this morning. Last Saturday night had been the only thing on her mind.<p>

When she arrived back home on Saturday night, she immediately felt a sense of emptiness in the pit of her tummy... like she had forgotten something. She knew that something she was missing was actually in fact a someone. Naya had spent the whole night cursing herself away for leaving without Ashley, wishing she at least helped her clean up. She was stupid not to stay.

But did she regret anything else from that night? Certainly not... She couldn't have been happier that she made the drive back to the café and told Ashley how she felt. If she hadn't then she would have sat at that damn party all night constantly thinking "what if?" If she hadn't then she also would have never known that her Latte Girl felt the same way. The thought of that kiss made her smile ridiculously again. She couldn't wait for their next date when she could kiss her again, and properly. She made one final look at herself in her rearview mirror before getting out of her car.

Naya breezed through the door at exactly 8:11 with the brightest smile on her face to see the Black Horse Café in full swing and rather packed this Monday morning. She was happy they were getting business, but all that seemed insignificant when her mind was set on a clear mission. She eyed the bar from the back of the line, peering over heads to see a flash of blonde... But her eyebrows furrowed when she didn't. Naya frowned and tapped her foot impatiently as the line moved closer to the register where Kaitlyn was behind it.

The pixie-haired cut, brunette looked up after she closed the register drawer.

"Hey, there."

"Hi..." Naya replied distantly, continuing to look behind the counter and peering through the back door that led into the kitchenette.

"She called in sick," Kaitlyn told her knowingly.

Naya looked to her surprised and the most unnoticeable tint of pink colored her cheeks.

"Oh... that's odd."

"Yah... i reacted the same way. That girl never gets sick and when she does she tries to come here anyways because she thinks it's okay to spread her germs all over me. Anyways, I guess it must be pretty bad. Maybe her cold from last Friday got worse."

"No, I meant it's odd because I... I saw her Saturday," Naya tried to clarify, still hoping Ashley would just pop out from the back with that cheery smile.

"Did you now?" Kailtyn asks raising an amused eyebrow.

"Yeah... and she seemed... perfectly healthy," she said, "At least from where I was standing..."

Naya had mumbled the last comment, but Kailtyn's sharp ears caught it anyways. Naya thought it didn't make any sense that her Latte Girl would call in sick. She seemed perfectly fine this past Saturday night. Sure there was the occasional sneeze (all the flour could have been a contributing factor), but Naya knew she was getting better. The fact that the blonde hated missing work had Naya second-guessing herself and her mind began to deduce ideas of why she was missing.

Kaitlyn observed the brunette carefully. She folded her arms across her chest as she inspected the suddenly worried actress in front of her.

"Did something happen Saturday night that would make her afraid to show up to work this morning?" Kaitlyn asked her sharply. She swore if this chick hurt Heather in any way…

"No…" Naya said quietly, the question catching her off guard and making her mind whirl around faster. She puzzled her eyebrows in search of an instance where she could have unknowingly forced the girl into an uncomfortable position. Maybe her overtly confident nature scared her away? They are moving extremely fast. Naya clenched her jaw at the thought and tried to shake her worries away.

Ashley never gave any hint to Naya that she was taking it too far. Naya knew after everything they talked about that the blonde wanted it as much as she did. Her Latte Girl must have had something much more important to attend to. It was the only answer.

Her eyes flickered back up to Kaitlyn's dangerous ones and Naya returned her cold stare, challenging her confidently.

"No," she stated more firmly. "I thought Saturday night was… great."

"If you say so…" Kaitlyn said her voice still filled with suspicion as she raised her pen. She had to talk to Heather about this soon. Before letting Naya off the hook she pointed her pen at her, "But if I hear otherwise?"

Naya raised her hand up in defense, "I promise… nothing went wrong…"

"Okay," Kaitlyn lowered her pen back down and switched her voice a full 180 degrees, "What can I get for you?"

"Just a medium caramel latte," Naya said softly, feeling weary of the sudden change of demeanor in the barista. She knew Kaitlyn was one she didn't want to be on bad terms with, as she examined the tattoos decorating rather toned arms for such a small girl. She had never been in an actual fight before, and she definitely didn't want her first to be with Kaitlyn.

"You got it. Whipped cream?"

"Um... light whipped cream?"

Kaitlyn looked to Naya with a confused brow, but just went with it.

"Sure light whipped cream..." she said to please the star. She rung the bill up and Naya paid her, stepping to the side to organize her change back into her wallet.

As she waited patiently for Kaitlyn to make her drink, an old lady stepped up to the register. Naya recognized her as one of their regulars. The silver haired woman placed her order and Naya tuned it out, pulling out her sunglasses. She just wanted to pick up her coffee and leave. _No point in staying anyway…_ she thought with a disappointed pout, trying to figure out when she would see her Latte Girl next.

"Is there anything else I can get for you?"

"I know the doctor said to cut back on the sweets, but I can't resist that cute, little éclair. One won't hurt."

Naya's head snapped back up to the register where Kaitlyn was placing a petite éclair with rich chocolate ganache glaze into a small pink box. Naya unconsciously licked her lips as memories from Saturday night wafted back to her. She smiled foolishly… _She finished them._ After the old lady paid her bill, Naya couldn't help herself as she rudely cut off the next person in line. Kailtyn jumped slightly.

"Me again, sorry. But can I just get one of those éclairs to go?" Naya said pulling out her wallet again.

"Sorry, but that was the last one," Kaitlyn told her. Naya looked back up at her disappointedly.

"Are you sure?"

"Um… yes?" Kaitlyn replied curtly and Naya sighed. "Your drink is ready out on the bar."

Naya simply nodded, completely bummed that absolutely nothing was going her way today. She glared down the innocent lady waiting for her tea that Dianna would surely approve of. She scoffed bitterly as she slipped the cup from the counter and took a small sip. She crinkled her lips as she knew instantly that it did not taste the same as her Latte Girl's wonderful java potions. There was something missing…

"Well, this day is shit…" Naya mumbled as she continued to sip her unsatisfactory latte with distaste.

She put on a sleeve on her cup to go as she continued to think, _As if this day could get any worse?_

* * *

><p>The set was buzzing with excitement. Well, Dianna was buzzing with excitement to be correct. Everyone else was customarily calm. During some down time this morning, her and Harry spotted a new arrival walk onto the set. Dianna at first thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, but after Harry confirmed what she thought her wicked smile returned to her lips.<p>

And with that she skipped off to Naya's trailer with the news.

As she climbed up the steps and raised her hand to knock, the door whipped open and Naya poked her head out. Dianna jumped in shock at how her obviously frazzled friend knew she was coming up. Dianna looked at Naya's eyes which looked crazed as if she has been thinking too much. She lowered her arm stupidly and began to acknowledge the uncharacteristically scatter brain brunette.

"I have something to tell you that you will—"

"Shut up and get in here!" Naya hissed as she grabbed at one of the many 'Quinn cardigans' Dianna had to wear and pulled her in roughly. Dianna stumbled forward.

"What's going on?" she asked after Naya closed the door. Dianna cocked her head to the side as she saw a pink little box sitting perfectly in the middle of Naya's coffee table. "God… now they've got you eating high calorie pastries there too? I feel like they're _trying_ to set you up for a heart attack."

"Dianna, I think I've officially lost it…" Dianna turned around to meet Naya's pacing form, her red and white crisp Cheerio's uniform whipping about her.

"Yah, your brain? I'm pretty sure I saw it fall out when you yanked your door open too quickly and dragged me in here," Dianna tried to joke with an amused smile as she watched Naya blunder about the trailer. But Dianna only received a cold glare of annoyance. She rolled her eyes. "What exactly have you lost and what do you want _me_ to do about it?"

"It's the Latte Girl," Naya simply said and Dianna's expression instantly turned into one of more concern.

"Why? When you texted me on yesterday morning you made it sound like everything went well—which by the way, I want more descriptive details than "she likes me and I like her" shit," Dianna sat on the couch, the pink box in front of her.

"It did go well. Everything on Saturday night was amazing…" Naya nodded to no one as she continued to pace.

"—Exactly, and I think I deserve a thank you for that—" Dianna said pointing to herself in praise.

"But after this morning I realized that something is wrong."

"What happened? Did you guys talk about this weekend?" Dianna asked worriedly.

"She didn't even show, Di. What if I fucking scared her away by kissing her? I mean, I barely even know her and I kissed her!"

"Whoa, whoa… you kissed her? Okay, you _cannot_ leave out a detail like that. Honestly, do I need to show you in the dictionary what a 'girl talk' session is?"

Naya simply ignored her and continued to rant, "I don't even know if she swings that way and then stupid me had to go and kiss her…"

"Nay… Come on now. When has gender or sexual orientation ever kept you from kissing people?" Dianna made her point softly and Naya had to inevitably nod in agreement. "If she had an issue with that, I'm pretty sure we would have recognized it before all this…"

"No!" Naya practically shouted as she pointed at Dianna who jumped in surprise. "That's only my first point. It gets worse. She's taken over my head or something, Dianna. Especially after _that _happened!" Naya proclaimed pointing aggressively at the small box still sitting innocently on the table.

Dianna looked down at the pink pastry box with a raised eyebrow and looked back up at her frazzled friend. _She certainly has lost it_… Dianna sighed and lifted the lid cautiously. She slouched in confusion as her eyes landed on a very delicious looking little pastry.

"And what's wrong with a perfectly made éclair?"

"I freaking took it from an old lady that's what's wrong with it. It's an… _evil_ éclair!" Naya blubbered out helplessly. She collapsed next to Dianna as they both stared at the sugary treat. Dianna turned to Naya, eyes wide and mouth agape in shock.

"You stole an éclair from a poor, elderly woman?" Dianna reiterated sharply, making Naya whimper as she stared up at the ceiling. "What would possess you do to something like that?"

"Okay, first off she wasn't poor… at least not that I'm aware of. And secondly, I didn't steal it…" Naya defended. "I left a ten dollar bill on her table when she went to the newspaper rack they have in the back corner lounge. I'm sure it was more than enough to cover it…"

"Naya… it was still _her_ éclair and you took it without permission, which means that you stole it. I don't understand why you would do that."

Naya sighed. "Remember that I told you we baked and she made dozens of little heavenly treats and made the kitchen smell all vanilla…"

Dianna squinted her eyes at Naya as the pieces fell together from the little information Naya had told her about that night. She looked back down at the lone éclair in the small box.

"So you're telling me that _this_ is the dessert you wouldn't shut up about in your texts?" Dianna asked pointing at the éclair. Naya nodded solemnly.

"Okay, so you freaking rant about damn pastries for a good fifteen text messages, but decide to leave out that you kissed her?"

"Alright! I'm sorry. Will you get over the kiss? It's something I was waiting to tell you in person…" Naya mumbled shyly. "I didn't want to dumb it down in a text message. It's the best damn first kiss I've ever had…"

Naya's voice was so uncharacteristically small that Dianna almost didn't catch what she said. She smiled softly to the brunette as she watched this incredibly gentle and vulnerable side emerge from broken stone walls that used to border her. _This Latte Girl must really have some special magic… _Dianna thought to herself. She let out a small sigh and pat Naya's knee comfortingly.

"Oh Nay-Nay…" she exhaled softly.

"Never… never have I felt this way about anyone or _anything _before. Like, I can't even control myself. She's got me so over my head already and it's been what? Two weeks now? She's got me kissing her on the first date, stealing food from old people… who knows what she'll have me do next? Tomorrow I could be signing over my entire savings account to her," Naya said quietly, her mind and eyes distant as she thought aloud.

"Naya stop it. She would never do that and you know it. She said she likes you. It's normal to be cautious, but we've been over this before. Of course I won't know until I meet her—and I intend on meeting her," Dianna pointed at Naya who rolled her eyes. "But from what you tell me, I can't imagine her taking advantage of you. Can you?"

"No…" Naya quickly replied knowingly.

"See? You know she cares about you and I know that you obviously _really_ care about her Naya. All this? It's normal… Maybe not the stealing part, but these feelings that you're trying to run away from are completely natural."

Naya gave a small appreciative smile to Dianna.

"And," she added. "I'm pretty sure she's going through the same thing right now."

Naya giggled softly and rolled her eyes at Dianna.

"I'm not kidding. A catch like you? She's probably sitting at home watching old _Glee_ episodes, regretting not going to work today because she had a dentist's appointment or something."

Naya leaned her head on Dianna's shoulder, the blonde comfortably leaning back into her.

"Thanks, Di… You always find ways to calm me down."

"Of course, Nay. Anytime," Dianna whispered back lovingly.

Naya lifted her head back up slowly and looked back at Dianna.

"Wait, you said you had something to tell me didn't you?"

"Oh, yeah…" Dianna said, thinking back to her initial reason for coming to Naya's trailer. She chewed her lower lip in thought as she looked to Naya's big brown eyes twinkling up at her. _She's so happy_… Dianna thought to herself with a smile and opted to do what was best for Naya.

"It was nothing. Don't worry about it," she finally said softly, wrapping an arm around her and giving her a gentle squeeze.

Naya lifted her eyebrows curiously and poked Dianna's side.

"Don't be getting too mushy on me, Agron," she said with a light chuckle as the blonde continued to hold her in their friendly embrace. She smacked Naya's wrist.

"Stop ruining the moment, bestie."

Naya chuckled again. She was so lucky to have friends like these… The thought was stopped short though as the door burst back open and Kevin's rear-end was scooting its way over into Naya's lap. The small Latina laughed heartily as Dianna and her broke apart.

"I want in on this Glee family, lovin'!" Kevin hollered as he successfully fought away Naya's flailing arms and sat on tanned thighs. Naya grunted in the midst of all her giggles.

"Bee! Get your boney ass off me!" she turned to Dianna for help, but the other girl was simply snickering behind her hand.

"This day already sucks and your skinny anorexic model boy ass is not helping…" Naya continued to whine. Although, it was anything but true. Her favorite cast mates were slowly starting to lift her dampened spirits.

"Oh no, don't be lyin' now! You know you _love_ my skinny, anorexic model boy ass," Kevin said turning back to Naya and wagging his finger at her and for emphasis he wiggled his bottom on her thighs. "Besides, I'm here to cheer you up with some information you will love me forever for."

Naya raised her eyebrow at this, while Dianna's eyes shot open with realization. She was quite aware of Kevin's 6:30 AM dance rehearsal, which only meant one thing…

"Uh, Kev?" Dianna tried.

"Oh! Donut," Kevin exclaimed distractedly as he picked up the éclair in the opened dessert box and took a bite out of the perfectly baked pastry.

"Kevin!" Naya shouted angrily and pushed at his back roughly, almost causing him to topple off her lap and drop the éclair all together. Fortunately he held his ground.

"What?" he asked, mouth full, "Hm… good donut."

He looked down at the dessert and his eyebrows rose in realization of what it actually was. He proffered it out to Naya as innocently as he possibly could, "Share?"

"Again… not helping my day…" Naya mumbled.

"Okay, okay," Kevin said waving his hands defensively and getting up off of Naya. "Your day is about to get one hundred times better all because of me."

Naya folded her arms across her chest and looked to him unconvincingly. Dianna on the other hand fidgeted nervously.

"So at dance rehearsal this morning, Zach had a special guest come in to help out and you're not gonna believe who it is—"

"—Kevin, I think we should—" Dianna tried again, but Kevin remained oblivious to her cut-throat signs and wide-eyed glaring.

"One, Miss Blonde Beyoncé!" Kevin cheered excitedly. Dianna let out a frustrated sigh, smacking her palm over her face.

Naya's arms fell slack to the couch and her face began to feel strangely numb as Kevin announced the reappearance of the mysterious blonde dancer that disappeared about a year ago… The tall, lean and extremely capturing blonde left Naya's curiosity unsatisfied.

Blonde Beyoncé…

Kevin was right. She didn't believe it. Naya's heart was suddenly caught on a hook and was being wheeled back to her prior-Glee self. She could remember how her mind would linger on the thought of the dancer for months after that day she showed up on set. During those few months, she felt like a teenager all over again searching for some missed connection that she knew she would never find. Naya would never admit to anyone but Dianna and Kevin how she searched for this girl shamelessly. She was so desperate that she even forced Dianna to Google her because she was too nervous to do it herself. It definitely wasn't one of her most proud moments… But during the first few months of filming things were changing fast and Naya didn't know how to cope. After seeing Naya so uncharacteristically distraught over a girl she barely knew, Telly was the one who caved. He dug up the dancer's profile and offered Naya her contact information.

It was all on file… She could have ended her madness and uncharacteristically smitten behavior right then. But for some reason, she couldn't accept it. She's still not quite sure why to this day. All she knew is that it wasn't meant to be. Over time the memory of Blonde Beyoncé faded. She quickly fell dependent on work and then Mark... Now the rest was history.

_But it was better not knowing her, wasn't it?_ Naya asked herself. Sure, it's been a long road, but where the path was leading to now she couldn't be more excited. Now that her Latte Girl magically tucked her way into Naya's heart, she felt like no one else could matter more to her. She was happy. This is the happiest she had ever been now that she officially knew Ashley shared the same feelings for her. With Ashley it was safe, but still so unpredictably exciting. But then why did the smallest reference to the girl she refused to let go bring back a flood of precious memories and emotions of what used to be?

Naya knew what she should do… she should forget about Blonde Beyoncé and avoid the tinshed like the entire male population (who were nothing but trouble). But that unsatisfied part of her was screaming at the top of its lungs to extinguish curious flames. There was that spark in Blonde Beyoncé that made it impossible for Naya to let her disappear a second time.

Naya had never felt so torn.

"Oh kay… this wasn't exactly what I was expecting your reaction to be like…" Kevin finally said after a few moments of just watching the emotion written expressions switch about on Naya's face. Dianna could see the stormy battle in those dark brown eyes.

"Nay? You okay?" she asked, patting her knee.

"I don't know…" she replied honestly. Her dazed eyes looked up at Kevin, "Are you absolutely sure it was her?"

"Positive. After those weeks of helping you decipher head shots of blonde dancers, I'm pretty sure I would recognize her…" Kevin tried to tease, but Dianna's glare shut him up. "I thought you would be happy?"

Naya remained silent, her mind whirling again in thought. Dianna sighed and answered for her.

"It's the Latte Girl."

"The Latte Girl?"

"Yes."

"Really? When did this happen?"

Dianna rolled her eyes at Kevin and nodded her head towards the half-eaten éclair still in his hand.

He looked to it and let out another, "Oh…"

"Mhm…"

Kevin awkwardly put the éclair back into the pink box and mumbled, "Sorry, Nay-Nay. It's really good if that makes you… feel any better…"

Naya didn't even bother to acknowledge Kevin's apologetic eyes as she turned to Dianna, "You knew, didn't you?"

Dianna chewed on her lower lip anxiously.

"You just sounded so happy, Naya. I didn't want to bring it up now that you've… you know… moved on?" Dianna offered.

"Yeah… I know…" Naya sighed. Her day really couldn't get any worse than this.

"So whatcha gonna do, bee?" Kevin asked, sitting on the other side of Naya on the couch.

"What do you mean, what is she going to do? She's with Latte Girl now. She's not going to go see her…" Dianna reasoned, but then looked back at Naya who's mouth was pressed in a thin line. "… are you?"

"I…" Naya started, twisting her hands nervously. "I just need to see her… one last time. That's all."

"Naya…" Dianna said knowingly.

"I just want to close all those doors so I could _officially_ move on… I mean, all those months I made you guys suffer through would be an absolute waste if I didn't at least go and see her," Naya tried to justify to not only Dianna and Kevin, but to herself.

Dianna sighed, knowing she couldn't deny this from Naya. She knew she had to have some sort of closure, but people didn't see how Naya pondered over this girl like she did. Naya was pretty over her head for someone she only had a ten minute conversation with, which is a big deal knowing that Naya was always careful when it came to these things. Dianna knew it was dangerous going into this without knowing what to expect.

"Whatever you think you need to do Naya is the most important," she simply said and Naya nodded.

The only thing was she had no idea what she was doing. She only hoped that while trying to close all these doors that she wouldn't mistakenly open new ones.

* * *

><p>Heather stood in front of the mirror, angling her body in various positions as Zach and her debriefed. Their first run-through with Kevin had been more than successful. Naya was absolutely right about everything about him. She was definitely nervous to meet the actor and singer, but right after he complimented her sunglasses and went into a five minute long speech about how suspenders were better than belts, she knew she would like this kid a lot. He joked casually with her and Zach and the more she spent time with him the more she realized how nervous he was too…<p>

This was his first big dance number completely centralized around him. Heather watched how focused he was once they got to crunching out some possible choreography. She could tell how much he truly cared about his craft. After a few minutes into seeing what Kevin could do, Heather knew she lucked out with how much experience he already had under his belt.

_Yee… I knew those boy-band days would eventually come in handy, _she recalled him joking about.

She suddenly thought what a pity it was that his talented feet were always stuck in a wheelchair. Knowing how much this mattered to the actor, Heather labored with Zach to choreograph the most dynamic piece possible for Kevin to truly showcase his talent.

Heather was sweating terribly and cursed herself for wearing so many layers. She couldn't believe how she could forget how hot it got in that damn tinshed… She had eventually stripped down to a pair of her athletic shorts and loose tank. Her sunglasses continued to slide down her nose and it was basically pointless to have them on inside anyways. Those were disposed of in the matter of seconds of rehearsing with Kevin. Heather adjusted the brim of her hat on her drenched forehead as she suggested another set of steps to Zach, who nodded approvingly.

"I really think if he comes in and did his sideways moonwalk thing that he showed us," Heather demonstrated in front of Zach. "And then it could continue to build, kind of like a wave of people being pulled in to the dance. I think that would look really awesome."

"I like that," Zach pointed at Heather, "I actually like that a lot."

Heather continued to throw around ideas, flipping, splitting, and spinning about the Tinshed. The two would alternate proposing a move or adjustment, trying to match together the perfect pieces to their puzzle. She couldn't believe how well she and Zach's ideas were meshing together. It felt so fluid and easy… She felt like this was something that could do for the rest of her life; it was a job doing the thing she loved most. Heather smiled happily, as she couldn't believe how much she worried about how this whole process was going to turn out. There was no sight of Naya all morning and since she was only needed for this piece, she was free to leave after they had a rough idea of what they wanted to do for Wednesday when they had all their backup dancers available. She would see Naya tomorrow morning and explain everything then, just how she had planned. Everything was working out perfectly.

Heather finished showing Zach a transition that was a little more complicated than the rest of the choreography they had built so far. Zach smacked at her playfully and Heather giggled.

"You honestly think my kids can do that? Save it for the back-up dancers, show off," he told her jokingly as he swiped her hat and pretended to fan her off.

Heather smiled and shook her head at her boss. She grabbed her sweaty cap back from him and was about to tuck it back on.

"Ashley?"

Heather froze. Apparently it was too late for anymore hiding.

* * *

><p>Naya had to pace in front of the Tinshed door for a few minutes before having the guts to actually peek in at the dancer she knew was inside. Once she cracked open the door, she of course had to look right when Blonde Beyoncé was bending down to give her a nice view of that amazingly perfect ass. Naya gulped nervously.<p>

_Maybe this was a bad idea…_

The navy blue faded cap tucked low on her head, enabling Naya to get a good glimpse at her face. All she could see was that cheeky grin peeking out from the shadow from the brim of her hat. It didn't matter though. It was quite obvious it was her from vision she had memorized of toned thighs and thin, sculpted arms. The way she moved simply sold it.

She couldn't tear her eyes away from her, as her blonde ponytail whipped about with every pop and lock that she showed to Zach in suggestion for Kevin's "Safety Dance" number. She thought every single move that came out of that lithe body was simply perfection; of course that didn't surprise her. Naya concluded her body was simply built for dance as she continued to watch in admiration.

She leaned against the doorway silently, chewing on her lower lip. Watching Blonde Beyoncé choreograph and dance was one of the most beautiful things she's ever seen. The way she moved so effortlessly with a finesse mixed with such simplicity blew her mind. Naya imagined she had probably disappeared to join some sort of Dance Company or something with much higher dance prestige than the confines of Glee. The raw talent the blonde possessed convinced her of that.

Naya continued eyeing her carefully, feeling an odd flip-flop in her stomach. There was something about her that reminded her of…

_ No._

Naya shook her head.

As she twisted her fingers in thought, Naya's mind guiltily drifted to her favorite blonde that always beamed at her from behind that register at the Black Horse Café. She smiled to herself, thinking of Saturday night and all the late nights and early mornings they have spent together. Those sparkling blue eyes filled with happiness warmed Naya's heart. It sounded silly in her head, but she knew she could never imagine staring into any other pair of eyes other than hers. With that thought, Naya pushed away from the doorway to leave the Tinshed unheard and unknown.

Naya gave Blonde Beyoncé one final glimpse goodbye as she performed a complicated move that she knew she would never be able to do if given to her. Zach smacked her arm playfully and tugged her shielding hat off of sweaty golden locks. Naya's eyes immediately landed on those unforgettable set of blue ones. She stopped dead in her tracks, her face and body growing numb in complete confusion. The dancer grabbed her hat back and tried to pull it back on as to hide those eyes again. But before she could, Naya uttered an almost inaudible:

_"Ashley?"_

When Heather instantly recognized that voice, she didn't know what to do or say. She looked over to the doorway and her eyes landed on a very befuddled Naya. All the blood drained from her face and went straight to her over-beating heart. She clenched her hat in fear, nerves, or… who knows what. All she did know was that her knuckles were a pearly white.

Zach turned to the doorway, hearing the quiet voice as well.

"Naya!" he exclaimed happily as the small, brunette let her legs carry her into the tinshed without her permission. As she drew closer to Blonde Beyoncé all her speculations she first made about her Latte Girl were becoming true. It was as if her dreams, or now maybe nightmares, were becoming a reality. Everything she knew was all turning backwards.

Zach spoke up again, oblivious to the tension hanging in the muggy air of the tinshed, "What are you doing here? I don't believe you're scheduled for any rehearsals for today."

"I'm not… I was just walking by…" Naya said distantly, her eyes continuing to examine the blonde's face and body, trying to confirm that all of this was real.

Heather was fidgeting nervously. She couldn't tell at all from Naya's blank expression what she was thinking.

"Awesome for you to stop by, because I don't think you have met—"

"Ashley? Why are you here? You never told me you picked up a job here?" Naya interrupted, confused eyes still trained on Heather's blue ones. Heather felt like the air was literally sweltering in this tiny rehearsal room, giving her no room to breathe.

"I-I—" Heather stuttered out, but Heather didn't get the opportunity to clarify because Zach unfortunately did it for her.

"Naya, you must be confusing her for someone else," Naya's eyes flickered to Zach as he wrapped an arm around the stiff blonde. "This is Heather Morris, one of my most reliable dancers who I call on every now and again for help. She's helping me choreograph Kevin's number in the upcoming episode or so. I don't remember if you two met back when we first started filming, but Heather was the one who came on set to teach the Single Ladies Dance."

Naya simply stood there mute for a good ten seconds, before she inhaled sharply and folded her arms across her chest. Heather knew from her defensive composure that she was hurt. It made Heather break out of her rigid trance and try to speak up again, but Naya started before her, making Heather's voice crack in her throat.

"Yes, I think I recall that day perfectly," Naya replied with absolutely no emotion in her voice, but her eyes screamed otherwise to Heather.

"Naya…" she tried softly making Zach look to her quizzically.

"You two seem busy. I apologize for interrupting…" Naya said curtly before spinning on her heel and heading for the door.

"Naya wait!" Heather's feet broke loose from their cemented confines and ran after Naya.

"Obviously they've met before…" Zach mumbled to himself in complete confusion.

Naya's face was frozen. Expressionless. She wasn't quite sure how she should feel about all of this. Confusion. That was definite… but she felt other emotions build on top of each other: disappointment, sadness, betrayal… It made her coil up like a tight spring. She hated feeling so much at one time when just hours ago she was filled with such happiness and excitement. This odd mixture of events made her wish this day never happened.

She could hear Heather or Ashley, or whoever this girl was, pleading for her to stop.

She couldn't. Her instincts made her heart beat faster. They told her to run.

She let her feet carry her in a flurry. She didn't even know where she was running to. All she knew was that she was running away… just like she always did.

Naya stopped abruptly.

She hated running. She had to stop doing this…

No, what she really wanted was answers. Naya looked up from the ground she was burning a hole into and spotted Dianna and Kevin in the distance. When they saw that she caught their trolling, they ducked behind a corner which made Naya roll her eyes in disbelief. It didn't take long for Heather to catch up.

"Naya! Please… don't run," Heather tried again desperately, a few steps away from Naya. She looked around them to make sure there wasn't any crew hands or cast members lurking to overhear.

"Just let me explain, please."

"I can't believe you…" Naya whispered lowly. Heather's shoulders slumped sadly with the evident aching tone in Naya's voice. Suddenly the shorter, brunette rounded on her. What she saw was not her flirty, sweet Naya. Instead Heather saw an enraged Cheerio clad Santana. She felt like she had been unwillingly sucked into an episode of Glee and the fiery Latina was about to beat her ass.

"_You're _Blonde Beyoncé? This whole time?"

"Blonde… What?" Heather questioned, eyebrows furrowed.

"Just forget it…" Naya mumbled. She turned to leave but Heather caught her hand, stalling her. Naya loathed how the warm touch still made her skin tingle. She tried her hardest to hate this girl… but she was finding it nearly impossible to do so.

"No, wait… Zach… H-He found me yesterday at my dance class and told me he needed my help. That's why I'm here."

"So what he said was true?" Naya asked sharply as she stared up into worried blue eyes.

"Yes…" Heather squeaked quietly. The answer made Naya shake her head and laugh to herself. This whole situation was just… insane.

Heather held on tighter to hand, afraid she would run away again. "Naya, can… can we just talk about this? Please?"

Naya ignored her and instead called her out.

"I only ever asked one thing of you. One thing only and you broke it… You lied to me. You've been pretending to be… someone else," Naya began, forehead crinkled in frustration.

"No! Naya, it's not like that… It's me. It's been me this whole time—" Heather continued to explain desperately.

"Ashley? Heather? Coffee barista? Professional dancer? I don't even know who you really are. I thought that after all those times in the café… after Saturday night…" Naya's voice grew softer with every word. Her insides were trembling and she tried desperately to hold herself together.

"I thought it was all real, but I guess I must have been wrong."

"No, it was all real! Every cup of coffee, every conversation, every word, every promise… the way I feel about you. Everything. It's all _real_. I couldn't lie about something like that Naya, you have to believe me," Heather told her honestly.

Naya looked up at her with questioning eyes, though they had softened considerably. Heather gave a weak smile as she got Naya to listen.

"My name is Heather Morris. But… that's all it is. It's just a name. Aside from that, I've been honest about who I am since that first day you came in the coffee shop, Naya, I swear. I was just so… so stupid and _embarrassed,_" Heather began, but Naya interrupted, taking her hand quickly from Heather's. She suddenly became enraged by the blonde's choice in words.

"_You_? _You _were embarrassed? Do you know how embarrassing this is for me? I mean, you convinced me that you were someone that you are evidently not and made me call you by a name that is obviously not yours in front of the _entire_ café, every single morning," Naya emphasized the last three words individually. "Don't you know how humiliating that is? Was this all some sort of joke to you? Something that you could laugh about with your co-workers after I leave? How far can number one Glee fan get with sluttiest cheerleader of the bunch? Isn't that how it always goes? I wouldn't be surprised if everyone there thinks I'm just another absentminded celebrity."

"No, no! I told you, Naya. I care about you. It was never like that. Never. I didn't mean for it to go this far I swear… I didn't think it _would_ go this far. I thought you showing up out of the blue was one of those amazing, one-time-only, serendipity-type moments. I wasn't expecting you to show again… I'm so stupid. I knew I should have listened to Ashley when she told me to tell you the truth…"

"What is this? Is Ashley like your alter-ego or something?" Naya asked with furrowed brows.

"Might as well be…" Heather mumbled to herself, cursing her roommate in her head.

"Okay, there's obviously some really weird personal issue going on here that you've got to deal with yourself. I don't want _any_ part of your crazy," Naya said putting her hand up and turning to leave.

"Naya—" Heather took a step after her, but Naya spun on her yet again.

"And the worst part is," Naya point her finger at her, "Is that I think I was actually falling for you…"

Heather was pretty sure she just heard her heart crumple like an unimportant wad of paper in her chest.

"For the fucking second time now…" Naya cursed. Heather had no idea what she was referring to, but that seemed like the trend of the day.

Naya gathered herself as she inhaled deeply. She looked confidently back at Heather.

"Again, I was mistaken. Apparently, we're both really good at making mistakes because you were also wrong about your acting skills," Naya told her curtly. "I think you make a fine actress. You certainly had me fooled."

With that Naya strode off without hesitation. She didn't let herself falter when Heather weakly called out her name again and she didn't let herself look back at the dancer's slouched, defeated form. She knew if she did, she might cave in to the other girl's dim-lit eyes. She wouldn't though. She was better than that… She _deserved_ better than this.

When she walked by Dianna and Kevin's hiding spot she didn't even hesitate to stop.

"You could be a little more discrete about your eavesdropping," Naya spat bitterly as she continued to walk away.

Both of their eyes rolled to the ground in shame, neither one of them daring to run after her at a time like this. They knew she needed her space. Dianna glimpsed back at Naya's Latte Girl who seemed rooted to the spot.

Eyes downcast and completely beaten, Heather didn't know what to do anymore. She had no one else to blame, but herself. It was all her fault and she knew it. Of course, with her luck, Naya _would_ find out this way. It was all her worst predicted scenarios playing out at once. She didn't think it could have gone more wrong…

That was until Heather looked up just in time to see Naya's fading figure run into Mark who slung an arm around her shoulder and led her back toward the trailers.

That's when the Earth felt like it fell from beneath her.

She lost her.

Heather stood there, arms limp and body like Jell-O as she asked herself:

_How could a day go so wrong?_

* * *

><p>Questions, questions! Thanks everyone for your responses. Most of your questions I feel got answered with this chapter, but those that weren't here ya go!<p>

**SanBClause:** To Naya, unfortunately, any kind of lying really makes her take a step back. I kinda went over the whole name situation in this chapter, how Heather says it's just a name, everything else was her. However, to Naya, she feels like everything is a lie now. Everything they shared was just a trick in her mind and she's kind of pulled in a whole bunch of different directions as you can tell. She doesn't know what to believe especially because she's fallen for the same girl twice when she thought both instances were with two completely different people. Sorry, if that doesn't make any sense at all! Haha. But it's mainly internal turmoil for Naya and trying to sort her feelings out from the initial shock.

Oh and also thanks for bringing up the red head. The reason behind her introverted, unenthusiastic personality in regards to Glee is going to play a somewhat important role in the future :)

**iWatchTheStars:** I know, I know… Last chapter was a disappointment. I heard from many. But it would have been just way too much I feel if I combined it with this chapter. This chapter is already over twenty pages. So I felt like there should be some place I should split. I agree, definitely not one of my most strong chapters, but it's certainly necessary and I don't regret posting it this way. It's kinda like Glee episodes in a sense: sometimes we get really shitty episodes and plotlines that feel like they just drag on for no apparent reason. Haha. Thanks for the comment and your honest input though! It's really helpful and I'll do my best to improve the things you mentioned!

**LaurenKnight13:** Yes, definitely some trouble to come. And yes again, there's a happy ending. Don't fret bb :)


	12. Part 1: Chapter 11

A/N: Hello all! I can now answer mostly everyone's recent questions: No, I am not dead (thankfully finals didn't completely murder me) and here's to a new update! I do apologize for such a long wait… I didn't anticipate being that busy, so I'm sorry I couldn't warn you all like I usually do before randomly disappearing.

But yes, definitely not dead. In the next few weeks, I intend on getting as many chapters out for BOTH of my fics. A lot of you have been requesting a new update on Liar/Saint and I will get to that right after posting this chapter. I apologize as well for getting super sidetracked with Latte Girl and not paying any attention to that fic… I didn't realize that it still had such a following!

Anyways, to make up for my absence this chapter is ridiculously long. Seriously... if you get bored, I'm sorry. I just couldn't get myself to cut it and my beta agreed that it was too beautiful to cut :) I believe that everything that happened in this chapter was crucial in the way it was ordered. I really hope you all enjoy this one as much as I have had with writing it… it certainly is one of my favorite chapters written so far, so let me hear your honest opinions about it!

Thanks to everyone who has still kept with me and have continued to review and PM me. I get some of the best PMs out there; I read and love all of them, even the short ones. And finally thanks to one of my saviors sarake_leeg who's been with me for what seems like forever. To think, it's been a year now! And also fossil_10. Still my number one beta :)

Love ya both!

(Also, I didn't have time to look back on the questions from the last few chapters since I've been gone for so long. But don't forget to ask if you do have any after this! And also, **this is not the last chapter of this fic if it feels like it in the end**!)

Warning: Light Mark bashing… although I do think he's a good guy and his character will get better in the later chapters.

Happy reading! Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: This fic is RPF! I do not own anything, this is a complete work of fiction. I DO NOT know either of these women nor am I affiliated with Glee or its creators. I also do not own the song "Taylor, The Latte Boy," by Kristin Chenoweth which this fic is loosely based on. These two are not a couple… unfortunately.

**The Latte Girl**

**Chapter 11**

Heather was sitting in the back corner of the Black Horse Café on a gloomy Tuesday morning next to her favorite window in the shop. Her cheek was plastered firmly against the cold wood of a two-seater table as she stared absentmindedly at passerbys trying to get away from the early spring chill. Sometime during the time frame of sitting at her table, Heather had poured out a pile of sugar from a packet and started to absentmindedly make patterns in the fine grains.

This was her and Naya's spot.

When she came in this morning, she had been slightly optimistic that Naya would possibly show up for her ritual morning cup of coffee. Heather desperately wanted a second chance to explain. But the minutes and hours ticked by and soon it was well past 11:00. She wasn't coming in…

Heather let out a puff of air when her lips inevitably pouted, causing a few grains of sugar to scatter away. The fact that Naya didn't come in dampened Heather's spirit more than she could have ever imagined. It got to the point where Kaitlyn finally reprimanded her for sulking around and making everyone depressed. Even though Heather protested, she was given her break early; well, Kaitlyn called it a 'time-out'. She knew her friend was just looking out for her. And she was right, Heather did need a break.

She hated herself for ruining everything. Naya was the best thing that's happened in her life since she's stopped dancing. She thought it was a one in a million chance that she got so lucky reacquainting herself with the Glee actress. Losing her made Heather just spiral farther down her rabbit hole. Naya was the only thing she thought about since she left the set feeling terribly broken. She couldn't even count how many times she replayed their conversation on the lot in her mind. It tortured her beyond end as she reevaluated all the moments she went wrong…

_Heather wrapped herself in her blanket, holding herself in a tight ball on the couch while Ashley sat quietly next to her. The two of them absentmindedly flipped through the channels, Ashley silently comforting Heather after the blonde had ranted for a good two hours on what had happened earlier that day. Heather was simply waiting… She knew the mocking had to come eventually. She rolled her head over to Ashley and sighed deeply._

_ "Just say it already…" Heather mumbled disheartened._

_ "I don't need to say anything," she replied back after making a face and changing the channel once again._

_ "Ash…" _

_ Ashley turned towards Heather, looking straight into the other girl's sullen eyes. She sighed… she couldn't. She just didn't have it in her to lay the harsh truth out to her best friend when she looked like that._

_ "You're okay, Hemo," she simply said and turned back to face the television._

_ Heather couldn't help it as her eyes finally teared up slightly from this whole situation. She couldn't believe she was finally breaking down because of all of this, over some girl that she met two weeks ago. But her heart told her that this girl would always be the one that got away if she couldn't fix it._

_ "You were right…" her voice cracked and Ashley looked back to her. "You were right. Now can you just hug me?" _

_ "Oh dear…" Ashley said quietly as Heather continued to sniffle. Ashley shuffled over and engulfed her best friend in her arms warmly. _

_ "I'll always have a soft side for you little one."_

_ "She hates me…" Heather mumbled into her shoulder. _

_ "Nonsense… She's just confused and a little hurt."_

_ "You didn't see her face or hear her voice."_

_ "Heather…" Ashley tried as she did her best to convince her roommate otherwise, but Heather knew better. She had to be honest with herself because Naya's comfort was important to her… she didn't want to make this situation any harder on Naya because of her stupidity._

_ "I doubt she wants anything to do with me anymore. At least not after what she said today… On Wednesday, after the final rehearsal, I'll tell Zach I quit."_

_ Ashley looked down at her roommate in shock, but Heather was decided. It would be better for both their sakes._

Heather sighed and let her eyelids flutter close… She hated thinking about not seeing Naya everyday like the past few weeks. She hated thinking that she would never be able to go on a _real_ date with her and never be able to kiss her fully on the lips ever again. It was as if these past days were all a made-up fantasy world that took her away from her mundane reality.

Unconsciously doodling shapes into her sugar drawing pad, Heather opened her eyes to see what her finger was tracing and immediately stopped herself. A cute heart was traced into the white sandy grains of sweetener. Heather pouted again sadly. Too bad love wasn't all that sweet…

Heather heard a distant jingling of the door swinging open and then closing. The coffee house had been surprisingly slow for a rather cold morning. Heather figured that Naya took all the life out of the café just like she took all the hope out of Heather's heart. Instead of heading to the counter and ringing the bell to get Kaitlyn from the back, Heather heard the soft patter of footsteps come in the direction of her table. Heather furrowed her eyebrows and slowly began to lift her head.

The customer pulled the chair in front of Heather abruptly, causing her to jump up in surprise and awaken from her depressing comatose. Heather's eyes widened in complete shock at the said customer now sitting in front of her, arms folded across her chest and eyes shaded by sunglasses.

Heather gulped nervously as Dianna Agron's sharp hazel eyes examined her over the brim of her shades.

Heather turned around in her chair and realized that they were the only ones in the coffee shop, which meant there was no one to witness if Naya's coworker and best friend tried anything harmful… The thought made Heather fiddle with her apron strings nervously. She contemplated getting up to go get Kaitlyn, but Dianna interrupted her trail of thought.

"Hi," she said simply in a rather sweet voice that made Heather worry even more.

"Uh… hi?" Heather answered back as she watched Dianna slip her sunglasses off her face and looked down at Heather's pile of sugar. Dianna's eyebrow rose inquisitively at the misshapen heart etched in the grains. Heather thought she saw the slightest quiver at the corner of the other blonde's mouth, but she convinced herself she must have been mistaken. She just couldn't stop thinking how much Dianna looked like a mischievous Quinn Fabray at that moment. Maybe that was why she felt like she was sitting on pins and needles…

"D-Did you want to order something? Sorry, I'm not behind the counter…" Heather started nervously as she began to stand up.

"That isn't necessary. You know why I'm here."

Heather sank down miserably in her seat, ready to take whatever Dianna was about to send her way.

"Naya sent you, didn't she?" Heather asked sadly, well more so stated than questioned. Dianna's brow continued to rise as she examined the barista's downcast, sparkling blue eyes. She wasn't too sure what to expect coming to the Black Horse Café this morning… But she was caught in complete surprise as she examined Heather's so evidently heartbroken state.

"That's neither here nor there, but if you must know I'm here on my own behalf."

Heather looked up at her with furrowed eyebrows.

Dianna snorted at how completely terrified Naya's Latte Girl, or Blonde Beyoncé, looked at that moment.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to whip out a gun and murder you…" Heather laughed nervously, though not totally convinced. "Besides, I'm totally against citizen possession of firearms…" Dianna waved away. Heather simply stared blankly at the political reference.

"Let's just get down to business," she said curtly. "First off, Naya did not send me here and she doesn't know I'm here. Whether she hates me or not after is my problem not yours, so don't worry about that."

All Heather could do was nod.

"I'm just here for some casual conversation with a coffee shop barista that I've been hearing about nonstop for the past week or so now."

Heather remained silent, not knowing exactly how to respond to all of this. She still couldn't believe that Dianna Agron was talking to her right now about her undefined, but now probably nonexistent relationship with Naya. Dianna, sensing the other girl's weariness continued to explain kindly.

"Look, I'm not even going to try and begin to figure you two out or your relationship with Naya. It really all goes over my head how close you both got in the matter of days. What I want to know is what happened on set yesterday and why one of my best friends refuses to talk about it with me," Dianna explained clearly to Heather.

Heather wasn't sure if it was Dianna's intimidatingly, pressuring gaze or the fact that she's been bottling up her feelings all day, but she practically exploded into her explanation.

"I know it all looks bad… it actually looks horrible how much I've lied about who I am. You've got to believe that I hate myself for it, but I did it because—" Heather began to blabber.

"Slow down… I'm just here to understand. You don't need to convince me of anything. I actually don't even want to know why you lied in the first place about all your odd personas. That's for Naya's ears, not mine. What I would like to know is how you truly feel about her?"

Heather's mouth clamped shut.

"What… I… What?" Heather stuttered, the bluntness of the question catching her off guard.

"Listen… I know Naya. I know Naya pretty well now from the time I've spent with her on and off Glee. She's smart, she's independent, she's confident… She's all of those things until you came around," Dianna pointed out to Heather.

"I never meant any harm to her if that's what you mean…" Heather mumbled sadly.

"I don't think anyone intends on hurting other people. At least not intentionally," Dianna told her softly. "I know she's going to hate me for asking you these questions. She's probably going to hate me for coming here in the first place... But I need to know… What did you intend on getting out of your relationship with Naya?"

"Nothing," Heather immediately replied, wide-eyed. "I mean… I… I guess I just never expected someone like her to ever want anything to deal with someone like me. When it all happened, it happened so quick. But every second I spent with her I never once thought of taking advantage of her. That was the last thing on my mind."

While Heather spoke, her voice was weak, sad. Dianna could hear every ache and every crack in her voice as she spoke about Naya. Again, Dianna had no idea what the Latte Girl's reaction was going to be when she showed up. But it wasn't this…

"I get that I messed everything up. I understand that she probably doesn't want anything to do with me anymore. I was so stupid… I even knew how she felt about liars and then I went and did just that. I was just scared the truth would ruin it all. Because having Naya in my life like that… it didn't seem real."

Suddenly, Heather couldn't help as a small, sad smile tugged the corners of her mouth as she thought about Naya.

"I know she's too good for me… That was probably the reason why it felt like she was taking the whole world from underneath my feet. I honestly think she's magical. She does something to this place," Heather gestured around her, "that makes it shine so much brighter. She does something to the people around her that make them flail around like fools. She does something to me…"

Heather paused and looked back up at Dianna who was listening so intently. She blushed at how bold she was as she professed so easily about Naya to this woman she didn't even know.

"I don't know. She just… does something to me," she concluded vaguely, picking at her nails under the table.

"You like her," Dianna said in simple words that she knew herself didn't come close to how much the other girl obviously cared about Naya.

Heather's eyes shot up to meet intense hazel ones. Dianna's gaze was unwavering and Heather found she couldn't escape or lie. Not that lying has done her any good now… after what had happened with Naya she swore to never lie again in her life. But there was something about Dianna's calming eyes that made it so easy for Heather to reply with a simple:

"Yes."

Heather was surprised with the firmness in her voice when she answered back.

Dianna stared at Naya's Latte Girl for a good minute. She tried to search for any falsity or scheming lies in those piercing blue eyes. But she found none. She felt something radiate from this blonde mystery girl that Naya had been troubled with so many times now. There was something about her that filled an emptiness in her chest. She furrowed her eyebrows as the odd warmth continued to spread. As she gave one final look towards Heather she knew… She felt trust.

Dianna shook her head to snap herself out of her thoughts. She picked up her sunglasses and stood up to leave. Heather stood up too.

"Good," Dianna said as she cleared her throat.

Heather furrowed her eyebrows as Dianna slipped her purse back on over her shoulder.

"I'll talk to Naya. Tomorrow during rehearsals be ready to explain everything to her."

"I-I wasn't sure if it was a smart idea to go tomorrow…" Heather said quietly. Dianna looked back at her with a raised brow. She knew well why the girl was hesitant on showing, but was surprised she actually may have decided not to.

"Well, you better be now that I'm putting in all this work for you," Dianna replied with a small smile as she slipped her sunglasses back over her eyes. She turned to leave.

"Why are you doing this?" Heather asked quietly, stopping Dianna in her tracks.

"Hey, Heather! I get that you're all mopey right now, but we really need to restock—" Kaitlyn called out, but her words faded in the back of her throat as she saw the unexpected customer talking with Heather. She dumbly stood next to the counter, her hands full with tea bags.

Dianna continued to smile as she looked to Kaitlyn and then back to Heather.

She said slowly, "Because I'm the type of person who doesn't believe that lightning strikes twice in the same place… But you and Naya seem to be proving me wrong."

With that Dianna headed out the door and Heather watched after her. Her eyebrows etched in what seemed to be a permanent furrow as she was confused with the entire conversation.

"Tomorrow, be there," Dianna called over her shoulder as a final reminder. The door jingled closed behind her.

Heather felt glued to the floor, not truly believing the past few minutes really happened. She thought she maybe imagined it all in her head.

"What just happened?" Kaitlyn asked, eyes on Heather.

Heather, eyes still lingering on the door, replied distantly, "I have no idea."

* * *

><p>"Wait… what the hell is going on? Why am I just finding all of this out right now?"<p>

"Lea… come on. Get with the picture, honey," Telly replied as he sipped from his glass of wine and patted Naya's legs that were laid across his lap.

"No, seriously. I don't understand why you didn't fill me in earlier," Lea pouted to Naya, obviously feeling left out. Naya grimaced at her friend's tendency to be so nosey.

"It's not like people normally go around yelling to everyone about their personal lives, Lea," Dianna told her calmly as she patted the seat next to her for the brunette to sit. Most of the cast were all relaxing after a long day of work at Lea and Dianna's place for their weekly Glee dinner to watch the newest episode together. Naya was hoping that the little "scene" she had with Ashley or Heather on set the other day would be forgotten, but leave it to her friends to make it the hot topic of discussion tonight.

"How you didn't recognize her the first day you 'remet' at that coffee shop is something I will never understand…" Chris mumbled aloud and Naya glared dangerously at him.

"What I don't get is how you two got so close in two weeks? Doesn't that sort of thing only happen in movies?" Jenna piped up.

"No… what I don't get is why you haven't pounced on that ass yet, Naya. I mean she's nothing but fine and that's coming from me," Telly offered causing Naya to swing her legs off of him and curl back into the corner of the couch.

"Okay, can we please change the subject now?" Naya announced to everyone, hoping they would leave it at that and turn their direction back to the screen.

"Hold up… rewind a little bit. I'm still lost," Kevin said as he put up his hands up for everyone to slow down. Everyone else in the room groaned in annoyance.

"Oh my god… we've been through this like five times now!" Amber scolded at him.

"Okay! Lay off! I'm one too many beers in and I just need to clarify so I don't mix up all my facts…" Kevin justified as he swiveled his position to face Naya who was anything but enthusiastic to answer his questions at the moment. "So is it Blonde Beyoncé? Or did you fall for the Latte Girl?"

"Seriously, bee? I told you this…" Naya threw up her hands.

"But you had that temporary crush on Blonde Beyoncé, but then you told us you were over her and then got all "curious" for Latte Girl… Now you're saying you've been interested in Blonde Beyoncé this whole time?"

Naya pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration, "No! Blonde Beyoncé is the Latte Girl. The Latte Girl is Blonde Beyoncé. Blonde Beyoncé is the one that has been making me caramel lattes every morning for the past two weeks!"

When Naya finished her outburst everyone awkwardly looked down at their drinks to avoid any unnecessary eye contact with the obviously frustrated actress. Naya breathed in deeply trying to recollect herself.

"Oh…" Kevin finally said in response after he clicked all the pieces together. Naya simply rolled her eyes.

"Yes, see the problem now?"

"Wait, how is this a problem?" Kevin asked. Again, the entire room groaned.

"Kevin? Really?" Chris glared at him sharply.

"No, I get it," Kevin put his hands up defensively. "I mean, isn't this a good thing? If Blonde Beyoncé and Latte Girl are the same person, doesn't that mean you've had feelings for the same girl this entire time?"

"I…" Naya began, but her voice caught in her throat. She never thought of it in that way before. Still, it didn't wave away the betrayal and utter embarrassment she felt from being fooled this whole time.

"He's got a point ya know?" Telly said raising his wine glass to his lips.

"That's… that's irrelevant…" Naya stuttered. "She lied to me."

"But you never let her even explain it to you. There has to be some reason behind this whole mix up," Lea suggested. That's when Naya had just about lost it if she hadn't already lost it before.

"How could you all be defending her? She _lied _to me. I'm your friend here while she's someone you all don't even know!" she let out exasperatedly.

Dianna finally decided it was time for her to speak up after moments of choosing to remain silent. She felt like she needed to defend the Latte Girl she conversed with this morning. She knew she should be standing up for Naya, but she couldn't help but feel sympathy for this girl. Although Dianna wanted to save her opinion for Naya until later tonight when she could get her alone, she couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Naya, we are all on your side. But, did you see how devastated she was after you left her there like that? Someone with the wrong intentions would not have that sort of reaction at the end of all of this," Dianna told her gently.

"Yah… she looked like a puppy that just got kicked by its owner," Kevin chided in agreement.

Naya had enough. She needed to get out of this room before she blew someone's head off.

"Okay, you know what? I think I'm done with this," she announced to everyone as she stood up. "I don't care if you all think this is some sort of phase I'm going through because I liked a chick within a few days after meeting her on not one, but two separate occasions. The fact is that I liked her, but I liked her for reasons she made up. And for all those who think I'm being unreasonable, I couldn't give a shit because I actually cared about her and nothing hurts more than being played. Everyone clear on that?"

Naya looked around the room to see if anyone wanted to counter her argument yet again tonight. She was certainly prepared for a battle. When no one said anything, she continued.

"Good… Now I really need a drink."

With that Naya stormed out of the living room and into the kitchen to try to escape her troubles and her bantering friends. She decided that embracing her absentminded, drunken counterpart was now the best solution to make this all go away. Dianna watched her friend go sadly, still trying to devise a way to convince Naya otherwise. She knew it was going to be a trying task. Naya treasured the trust she made in others… it was so difficult for her to rebuild that trust when it was broken.

"So, who's turn is it this time to make sure she doesn't drown away her sorrows and destroy her liver in the process?" Chris questioned to the rest of the group over his iced tea glass.

Dianna stood up and headed over to the kitchen.

"Don't worry… I've got it."

When Dianna breezed into the kitchen, she raised her eyebrow as Naya raided her cabinets to make a recipe that would make her mind shut off. Several shot glasses were lined on the counter, all varying in size, along with a ripe lime that Dianna couldn't recall buying. She knew it meant only one thing: tequila shots. She rolled her eyes at how typical and rather overdramatic her friend was being right now. If it were any other situation she would have smirked and laughed at Naya's actions, but the issue at hand was a rather serious one. Dianna truly wanted to make it better for both parties so they could move on with their lives, either together or separately. She was hoping to accomplish the former.

"How in the fucking world do these girls not have tequila? They have absolutely every other half-ass, girly liquor in this house, but they don't have tequila?" Naya cursed under her breath as she was sifting through bottles in Dianna and Lea's fridge.

"That search is a hopeless cause, Nay," Dianna told her softly as she leaned against the side edge of the counter opposite of her friend. Naya turned around and looked back behind her. When she noticed it was only Dianna she turned back to her task at hand and that task was to get as hammered as possible. "You should know that. Lea can't stand the smell after her last birthday."

Naya sighed in defeat as she remembered back to Lea's birthday party.

"What a damn light weight…" she mumbled and Dianna couldn't resist a smirk at that one. It was true…

"Skyy Vodka it is," Naya concluded, pulling the tall blue bottle out of the freezer. "You two would have both raspberry and passion fruit flavored Skyy Vodka."

"Hey, it's good," Dianna defended.

"And expensive," Naya retorted. Dianna was forced to nod in agreement. "In here to get drunk with me, Agron? Or to convince me that I'm an over reactive bitch like everyone else?"

"I'm not here to do either," Dianna started simply. "Though I do feel that you are being a tad over reactive."

"Dianna, please… I really don't want to hear it from you of all people okay?" Naya pleaded leaning against the marble-top island in the middle of the kitchen.

"I feel like you would be more at ease if you talked about it, Naya. I have no idea how you were feeling after the incident yesterday. Last night, you completely ignored my calls. Kevin and I were worried sick you know?"

"I wanted to get away from everything for one night. Is that a crime to do around here?" Naya asked tossing her hands up.

"So your idea of "getting away" is going over to Mark's place?" Dianna countered angrily.

Naya groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose again.

"I knew you would be pissed about that…"

"Naya… Why do you always fall back on him? You know that you lead him on by doing so?" Dianna let out exasperatedly.

"Nothing happened! We honestly just talked. I wanted to be with someone who didn't know what was going on… someone who wasn't going to judge me," Naya defended, arms crossed over her chest.

"And you think we would judge you?" Dianna asked her, disappointment evident in her voice.

"No, Di… that's not what I mean. He's just the only one I knew that's had a relationship with a fan like this before…" Naya explained softly. Dianna let out a breathy sigh, indicating that she accepted Naya's choice even though she'll never understand it. Mark did have a way with his fans… Dianna nodded slowly, encouraging Naya to talk her feelings out.

Naya rubbed at her temples and sighed out deeply.

"I'm just so… confused," she let out in a long breath and Dianna scrunched her lips, empathizing with Naya. "I feel like I'm the bad guy here when I didn't do anything wrong. I don't get why I feel so guilty and miserable when _she's_ the one who lied to _me_… Can't I have that chance to go crazy and be all bitchy?"

"It's always necessary to lose it sometimes, Naya. With what we have to deal with every day, it's important not to keep it all bottled in. But I feel like you could have handled it more… maturely?" Dianna offered hesitantly.

"How was I not mature?" Naya asked, raising her voice. Dianna rolled her eyes, her point obviously made. However, she continued to be a patient as possible.

"You did yell at her…" Dianna pointed out.

"This! This is what I'm talking about," Naya said angrily as she pointed at Dianna who simply raised her eyebrows. "You're making me feel like this is all my fault that this happened! Dianna, if you don't recall me telling you, I liked her a lot… like on a ridiculous level that I can't believe I let myself get to. I did exactly as you said and laid my heart out there and she was the one who tossed it aside… I feel like such an idiot letting her walk all over me so easily."

As Naya finished her rant she began unscrewing the cap off of Skyy Vodka bottle number one, ready to make this night disappear from her memory.

"Stop, Naya," Dianna said, covering her hand over Naya's to stop her from dumping all the contents out into the row of shot glasses. Naya's eyes lifted up to meet Dianna's calm and understanding hazel ones. She knew she was just trying to be a good friend, but Naya couldn't stand everyone trying to tell her how to feel. It was starting to get annoying…

"Listen. After what she did, I'm certainly not saying that I'm her number one biggest fan. Because I'm not. Anyone who hurts you, Nay automatically goes down on my hit list… But I'm just trying to get you to look at this from all the angles. I understand that she misled you. Situations like these are unfortunate and they hurt like a bitch, but like she said. It's just a name."

"It's not just that, Di…" Naya mumbled as she let her hand go slack on the bottle and let it lay limp on the counter.

"Talk to me, Nay-Nay," Dianna said softly as she tucked a stray frazzled piece of dark hair behind her friend's ear.

"I-I knew it was her…" Naya's voice was barely audible and Dianna had to lean forward to hear her.

"What do you mean?" Dianna's eyebrows furrowed.

"Blonde Beyoncé… I knew the Latte Girl was Blonde Beyoncé…" Naya clarified just above a whisper.

Dianna's eyes widened in disbelief.

"What?"

"Please don't yell…" Naya pleaded.

"This whole time you knew?" Dianna asked, frustrated.

"Yes… and no. I told you, I'm just so confused."

Dianna folded her arms across her chest as she began to ponder on the situation and what was going on in Naya's mind. Obviously, the girl was not thinking clearly at all…

"So, why are you so pissed that she lied when you _knew_ she was lying this whole time? Please don't tell me it's some sort of weird test that you make chicks pass before you get in their pants."

"No… ugh!" Naya grunted in frustration and shook her head to clear her mind for a few seconds so she could explain to Dianna. "Remember when I first met Latte Girl? How I was so determined to pin her as someone I knew before?"

Dianna's eyebrows continued to knit together as she recalled the memory.

"It was like that… I had the slightest inkling when I met her that she was Blonde Beyoncé. My initial instincts were telling me that she was. That's why I kept going back. It's like one of those moments where there are certain traits about a person that remind you of an old friend or an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend… The more time you spend around that person, the more you wish that it was the person they remind you of because you never got over them…"

Dianna was simply listening to Naya's thought process with raised eyebrows, following slightly but not completely.

"That doesn't make any sense does it?" Naya asked looking up at Dianna.

"Yeah… not really your best explanation, but continue."

Naya sighed.

"I kept coming back because I was convinced Latte Girl was Blonde Beyoncé. I wanted it to be that way so badly…" Naya said sadly. "But then, as time progressed and I got to know Latte Girl… I just stopped caring…"

Dianna cocked her head to the side as she listened and watched Naya speak her thoughts aloud. Her friend's eyes were distant and cloudy, completely lost in her own troubled world. It reminded Dianna of a very similar expression she saw this morning…

"I didn't care if she reminded me of this girl that I thought I would never see again. She was special… she made me feel special; like I was always the only one in the room. The conversations we had and the trust I could invest in her was the only thing that seemed to matter anymore. So then, I told myself I was just crazy before when I first met her. I was delusional and still so obsessed over finding Blonde Beyoncé that I imagined it was her. Too bad my intuition was right…" Naya finished with a discouraged mumble.

After a few moments of silence, Dianna finally spoke up.

"You know… you were never really that bad about Blonde Beyoncé," Dianna said softly in effort to offer some sort of comfort. Naya rolled her head toward her in disbelief.

"Please… you don't have to lie to make me feel better, Dianna. I always bothered you and Kevin about it until your ears bled," Naya shrugged in admittance.

"Yeah, well, Kevin and I also have tendencies to over exaggerate. We liked to give you a hard time because it was the only little crush you had that we knew of. And I don't really count Mark as one… no offense," Dianna said with a small smile.

"None taken."

"Naya… I feel that if you have such strong feelings for Latte Gi—" Dianna started but then corrected herself, "…Heather, then you should hear what she has to say."

"I'm just… I'm just afraid, Dianna," Naya told her, voice uncharacteristically shaky. Dianna furrowed her eyebrows in surprise with Naya's demeanor and took another step toward her friend. She placed a soft hand on her upper arm.

"Naya Rivera? Afraid? I find that terribly hard to believe…" Dianna said sweetly.

"I feel like she could break me in an instant. She almost already did… for the second time now. I don't like not being in control. Knowing she could hurt me terrifies me."

Naya wrapped her arms around herself, hating feeling so vulnerable. But that was the kind of effect Heather had on her. She just made her feel like a forgotten, cold cup of coffee without a thermal sleeve.

"Naya, she's not going to hurt you," Dianna told her confidently as she looked straight into Naya's eyes. Naya's forehead crinkled in confusion at how certain Dianna sounded.

"How can you be so sure?"

Dianna sighed, knowing that the truth would have to come out eventually.

"I spoke with her today."

"You… You what?" Naya asked in utter dread. "Oh God… you didn't, did you?"

"I told you Naya. Anyone who hurts you automatically goes on my hit list and I had to check out things for myself since you refused to tell me anything," Dianna defended sternly. Naya threw her hands over her face in utter embarrassment.

"No… you didn't… I want to pretend like you didn't…" Naya mumbled into her palms.

"Hey, Naya. Stop," Dianna said as she pulled Naya's hands away from her face. "I told her you had nothing to do with me being there. You're one of my best friends, Nay. What did you expect? I'm going to look out for you no matter what."

"The last thing I wanted was for you to make a bigger deal out this and get involved. I don't need you fighting my battles, Dianna," Naya said harshly.

"What's done is done," Dianna shrugged, not regretting any of her choices. "You have a lot of people here that care about you, Naya. I know if something like this happened to me, you would be worse."

Naya's eyes flickered to Dianna who remained unflinching. She sighed, knowing that she would definitely have been worse if their positions were reversed.

"Still…" Naya mumbled, but her eyes lifted back up in curiosity, "So… what did she say?"

Dianna rolled her eyes knowingly.

"The exact words exchanged is between me and her, but I know from what she told me that she truly does care about you," Dianna told her simply and this time Naya rolled her eyes at her vagueness.

"She could have been lying to you too… She's pretty good at hiding things from people," Naya said bitterly, not ready to give in and forgive her Latte Girl so easily.

"I'm not even going to try to argue with you about her honesty anymore, Naya. I know you can barely keep convincing yourself of how horrible she is… Just two days ago you said nothing but amazing things about her," Dianna countered gently. "Now that I've finally talked to her myself, I can officially agree with you."

Naya huffed again.

"It just all seems unreal doesn't it? That this should happen this way… twice," Naya mumbled.

"Naya," Dianna took the other girl's hand in her own to gain her full attention. "If you have stumbled upon this girl like this for the second time now, there's obviously some sort of… greater power here that's trying to tell you something. You've fallen for her two times within the time frame of a year. Don't you think it's sign?"

Naya chewed her lip, shaking her head disbelievingly. Jenna was right, these things only do happen in the movies… they aren't meant for real life.

"There's no such thing as 'signs' and 'soul mates' and all that bull crap… That stuff is meant for romantic comedies, where Julia Roberts gets all pretty in pink and wins her man."

"Wrong chick flick, Nay," Dianna said with a raised brow. Naya simply rolled her eyes for being criticized for mixing up her chick flicks. "Do you honestly believe that?"

"I don't know what to believe anymore…" Naya replied.

Dianna squeezed her hand and Naya looked back up at her. Dianna's eyes became serious, but continued to glimmer with hope and excitement for her friend.

"Naya, something really magical is happening here. Who knows what it really is, but you'll never know unless you give it a chance. You're letting it slip right from your fingers because you keep running away."

Naya understood what Dianna said was true. Of course she believed in soul mates. She was one of those crazy, star-eyed fools when it came to soul mates… There had to be that one person out there in the world that was meant for you. If that wasn't true, then what was the point in living? What scared Naya was the fact that all she's hoped and believed in since she was a young girl could _actually _be happening to her. The context in the way it was happening only made her head spin faster in circles.

Dianna sighed as she looked upon her puzzled friend. She felt like she had played out her strongest hand, but Naya seemed to remain impartial on the whole situation. Dianna concluded that she could only do so much… The rest was up to Naya.

Unlike Naya, Dianna wasn't as much of an advocate for all that 'one-true-love' fairytale ideas that mother's would tell their daughters. She thought love was something unconventional. It couldn't be chosen, and sometimes it came in the most unlikely of forms. And sometimes you had to work for it. But after this morning she didn't know what to believe anymore. These two girls… something truly beautiful was happening between them that seemed to have been planned out from the beginning.

"Fate has laid a hand on you two," Naya looked up at Dianna, the words catching in her ears. "You can run away from it as much as you like. You can even try to drink yourself away to try and forget it, but I think someone or something truly wants you two to find each other. It won't be that easy getting away," Dianna softly whispered out to her with sincerity. That was what she had been thinking the moment she left the coffee shop after her conversation with Heather. She told her with everything she felt in her heart.

Naya remained silent.

"You like her, right Naya?" Dianna asked one final time.

"I like her too much…" Naya replied almost immediately, as if it were a reaction.

"Then talk to her. Give her a chance to explain. If you realize she has indeed been faking it all this time, then leave her be… but if she proves you wrong then you know you won't be spending how many months or years regretting. Who knows how long till chance will play its hand in this again?" Dianna concluded with a small hopeful smile. Naya tugged her lips to the side in thought. Then Dianna finished with, "And I'm pretty sure Kevin and I can't tolerate another three months or however long the last time was of you moping over this girl… again."

Naya finally managed to crack a smile.

"I hate that you're always right."

Dianna chuckled, "You need to have some sort of logical presence around to convince you otherwise."

Dianna gave Naya's hand one final squeeze as she turned to stack the shot glasses together and put them back into the cupboard. She grabbed the two bottles of liquor, now completely at room temperature, and slid them back into the freezer securely. She gave one final look at Naya who was still deep in her mind trying to process all this reasoning they delved into tonight.

"Just have a little more faith in the universe Naya. It might surprise you," Dianna told her as her final piece of advice and slipped out of the kitchen.

Naya leaned against the island counter once more. Dianna was right. She had to let her Latte Girl explain to her. She knew she should remain guarded about this, but it was no use. Her heart was already hoping her Latte Girl would cast all her doubts and worries away.

"Tomorrow…" Naya breathed out in hope.

* * *

><p>Heather felt like she was spinning in circles. Well, maybe that's because she was. She was running around the tinshed like a mad-woman as she helped Zach as much as she could with teaching the extras the newly choreographed Safety Dance. Today she was hoping, mores so praying, for the unexpected. She continued to wish that she would get the chance to at least see Naya one last time if she wouldn't speak with her. But to her dismay, Heather was instead stuck in a whirlwind of choreographing madness. Earlier that morning, she had come in to work on the rest of the number with Zach before all the extras came in and when they did, for some reason, it felt like all hell broke loose.<p>

True, they were all trained dancers which was refreshing, for the exception of Kevin, but he could only stay for the breakdown of it all at the beginning. She was lucky he was used to the time conditions and caught on to his part fairly quickly. They discussed that they would review a final time before they actually filmed the sequence. The number of the extras that the two of them had to teach in a timely matter was the obstacle that they were trying to overcome… To Heather it felt near impossible. This was Glee after all, which meant a Broadway quality number was the least that was expected. Now, they were running through the full choreography to make adjustments and fix the timing issues. Heather had never felt so tired… but then again, it could be because she danced along with everyone else for every single run while Zach simply instructed.

It didn't matter though. She loved it anyways. It reminded her of the good old days of being one of the extras, bonding with her fellow chorus members. She figured she should get the most out of this since it would probably be her last time on the floor for a while. As much as she was trying to enjoy herself, she found she couldn't. She couldn't devote her whole attention on Zach and the twenty or so backup dancers that needed her help. All she could think about was Naya and the fact that she was somewhere on set within walking distance… But still, time continued to tick away faster…

Naya had still not shown up.

Heather was beginning to doubt Dianna's promise yesterday. She knew she shouldn't have gotten her hopes up… it was all a lost cause. As the afternoon disappeared and the clock turned to 4:00 P.M., she knew Naya was not going to come. Heather's shift was over.

Dancers slowly began dissipating the tinshed, some staggering behind for some last tips before they filmed and others that Heather had known from past dance gigs stopped by to catch up. All of them gave her the same sympathetic expression when she told her rather depressing situation and gave her an affectionate squeeze goodbye. Heather envied every single one of them. Bright and youthful and dancing their hearts out on a regular basis for this show… She shoved her hands in the pockets of her baggy sweatpants as she looked up to the clock once more.

4:25 P.M.

It was no use. Her shoulders slumped in defeat as she moved over to collect her things to leave, permanently.

"Whoa there… where are you running off to so soon?" Zach asked in a chipper voice, but turned serious when he saw Heather's sullen expression. "Hey, you should feel happy with what we accomplished today. Your first day handling an entire cast of dancers was way more successful than mine was, darling."

Heather looked up to Zach.

"Zach, I think this is my last day," she told him straight out. There was no point drawing this out longer… Peeling off a sticky Band-Aid slowly never did anyone any good.

"Why? What's wrong?" Zach asked confused.

"I just… I don't think the job is for me. Something," Heather paused trying to choose her words carefully, "Something came up. I don't think I'm the… appropriate candidate for such an important responsibility. I'm sorry."

She tried her best to not feel so horrible about what she was telling her friend that had done so much for her, but God damn… letting it all go certainly hurt like a bitch to put it simply.

Zach sighed, "Well… I suppose I tried. There was only so much I could do to try to convince you. But I'm glad I at least was able to get you out on the floor one last time. To get you to remember. But I get it. Things change."

Heather nodded, eyes downcast. She felt like a disappointment.

"Hey," Zach said with a small smile, lifting her chin. "As long as this is what you want? If it's for the better?"

Heather tried to give a smile, but it was weak.

"Yeah, I think leaving would be best," Heather concluded firmly.

"You're leaving?"

It was quiet, timid, but Heather heard it; her ears fully perking up. She spun around quickly to see Naya standing small in the middle of the tinshed. Her hair that had been constricted in her tight Cheerios ponytail cascaded in waves over her shoulders and she wore a puffy black jacket over her uniform. Heather was in complete shock. She couldn't believe she actually came. Maybe she had wished so desperately that Naya would come that her mind was making it up. But as she continued to blink her eyes, Naya still remained in place. She felt like her heart was having palpitations or something… She looked wonderful. Heather couldn't believe how happy she was just seeing her one more time, if it were to be the last time.

She sucked in a deep breath as she tried to muster the strength to answer her question.

"It's for the best…" Heather repeated, words getting lost in her brain that was still stunned.

Zach, feeling the tension between the two, knew when his company was no longer needed.

"I'll leave you two some privacy," he said and excused himself. He gave Heather one final pat on the shoulder before leaving them alone.

Silence surrounded the two girls for a few good seconds; neither one of them knowing what to say first. Finally Naya couldn't hold it in any longer.

"This isn't permanent… is it?" she asked, trying to hide her disappointment. "Is the café forcing you to come back to them?"

"No…" she let out in a weak chuckle. "If anything they were happy for me. A little sad, but they were happy. But it doesn't matter I'm going to be back there full time next week," Heather said sadly and continued to say towards her feet, "I… I think this permanent. Like I said, it would be best if I did… for the _both_ of us."

Heather watched Naya's every expression.

"Oh…" was all Naya could reply, completely devastated as she felt her heart plummet to the floor. Heather shifted her feet, not knowing what to do or say. Maybe she should just walk out and leave it at that; leave Naya alone for good so she'd never be a bother to her again. But of course, the other girl stopped her before making any decision.

"Why?" Naya asked, taking a step forward. She was trying to keep her there as long as she could. Naya couldn't imagine letting her go yet. "Why are you doing this?"

"Don't you think it would be better? I figured you… you'd want me to leave."

Naya remained silent biting her lower lip.

Heather offered a weak, sad smile, "I don't want to make you uncomfortable, Naya. This is _your_ job, part of your life… It's something you've been doing much longer than I have. I couldn't just go around and ruin this amazing achievement you've accomplished." Heather looked down at her feet and said quietly, "I couldn't stay knowing that I'm not wanted here. It's better this way."

"That's your reason?" Naya bit harshly, completely unimpressed. Heather looked back up at Naya confused.

"Yes?"

"You're quitting this job, this job that I know you've dreamt about, because of me?" Naya asked, eyes slightly saddened by how easily Heather was giving up. She didn't understand.

Heather furrowed her brows, "Naya, I won't be the cause of any more trouble… I'm not going to overstay my welcome when I'm clearly not wanted. I've already made such a mess and I can't stand the fact that you might—"

"God, stop…" Naya interrupted Heather's rambling. "Stop doing this for me. Don't… Don't you know how to be selfish?"

Heather's eyebrows further knitted together. She was completely lost.

"Can't you do something for yourself? For once? In a heartbeat, you would do anything when someone asks you to. But when it comes to yourself? You practically treat yourself like you don't matter. Don't you ever give yourself a break when you need it?" Naya continued to ask. "If what you told me about how you feel about dance was true, I can't imagine you giving it up _again _this easily. I don't get how a girl with so many dreams and so much talent can give this all up for… for some stupid actress who is obviously an over reactive bitch."

"Naya, you're not a—" Heather tried softly, but Naya again interrupted.

"Any other person wanting to get into the business would have taken this opportunity and ran with it, not caring at all about anyone else they fuck over along the way. Why don't you do that? You, who I know deserves it more than anyone…" Naya said in frustration. "I've seen you. The way you dance… like it's the only thing that matters; like it's the last time you're ever going to…"

Naya looked into Heather's eyes.

"It's beautiful."

This time Heather took a step forward.

"Naya, I'm not like all those other fame crazed people… I'm not going to make someone else's life miserable just for my own benefit. All I wanted was to dance. But now, all I want is you…" she said quietly, Naya's eyes lighting up with her words. When she realized she paused, she quickly finished with, "to be happy. All I want is for you to be happy. I care too much about you to take advantage of you like that… that would be the 'over reactive bitch' thing to do. That's just not who I am."

Naya pouted at the floor, "If you're going to leave, I want it to be because you don't like it here... Not because of me."

"No, Naya…" Heather spoke gently. "I'm leaving because I feel like there's nothing worth staying for… Unless you can prove to me otherwise, I think it would be best."

Naya's eyes quickly darted up to Heather's sullen, misty blue ones. She felt like those pair of eyes never should be that gloomy shade of blue. They had lost that sparkle that Naya had loved most about them. She chewed on her lip. Heather thought that her silence was her cue to leave. When Naya saw Heather begin to move, she spoke up to stop her.

"I don't want you to leave…" the words sputtered from her lips.

Heather was stunned in place again.

"W-What?"

"Please don't leave…" Naya whispered again pleadingly.

It was all she needed to hear. Heather dropped her bag from her shoulder and strode over to Naya, grasping her hands.

"Naya, I-I need you to know… if I hadn't made it clear earlier… I fell for you too."

Naya's heart started to thrum against her chest faster. She tried to not let her feelings get the better of her, but she couldn't get past the gleaming pair of blues staring into her or the soft skin running against hers.

"You don't know how sorry I am… for everything. Will… Will you let me explain?" Heather asked cautiously, blue orbs never leaving mocha ones.

Naya gave a small nod for permission.

Heather let go of a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and then looked down at her and Naya's clasped hands. She smiled a little to herself, remembering how good it felt to hold Naya's hands. As discretely as she could she traced small circles in the palm of the actress's hands with her fingertips to memorize the soft feeling of that tan skin.

"Naya, I still _am_ falling for you. Everything I told you about myself was true. I really did grow up in Arizona, I really did move here three years ago to dance, I do currently work at the Black Horse Café, I do have a black cat named Zach Morris, I do wear the same pair of silly socks to sleep every night, and I have called the fire department because I burn food instead of cook it," Heather told her confidently. She tried to read Naya's expression, but she remained impartial. Heather continued.

"All that… it's all me. The only thing I kept from you was that I had actually met you that day I came on set for the Single Ladies dance and that my name is Heather Morris."

Naya furrowed her brow while she finally spoke up, "Why didn't you just tell me your name? Normal people lie about stupid stuff like setting your kitchen on fire… Isn't it kind of out-there to lie about your name?"

Heather swallowed thickly.

"I-I told you… I was embarrassed because of that. That you would recognize me."

Naya's eyebrows continued to scrunch together.

"From the moment I met you… the first time," Heather clarified. "I knew in an instant that you were the type of person I could be friends with. It's scary, but I don't think I've ever felt a connection with someone so quickly. Everything felt so perfect, like I could start working with everyone the next day and the transition would have been so easy. Not only was it just what the job had to offer me, but I… I wanted to get to know everyone here…" Heather said and then shyly added, "I wanted to get to know you. That's why when I found out the job was already taken, it hurt so much more…"

Naya's eyes examined Heather. Watching Heather recollect on everything, Naya could see the years and time that the two missed with each other. She was just as disappointed as Heather. Heather continued slowly, making sure she explained everything carefully.

"I tried to forget about it all… I figured it was just any other job that I got rejected from. But it wasn't. You guys were everywhere. The posters, the music, the commercials… It made it all that much harder when I realized what I had missed out on. It was inevitable not to fall in love with the show. So… when you walked into the café that one morning I was shocked… and embarrassed," Heather said quietly.

"I thought that if you recognized me from before, that you would judge me," Naya scrunched her brows together and Heather winced at her expression. "I was just so ashamed because when we first met, I was a dancer traveling in a tour bus around the world with Beyoncé and after that I appeared in T.V. shows and movies as a dancing extra. I was living the whole 'starving artist's life' except… the dancer's version of it, where you survive off of Goldfish and peanut butter-based snacks. Lame I know, but it was the life I've always wanted to live."

Heather didn't see the small smile that crept on the corners of Naya's lips.

"Remember how I told you about my mom?" Heather referred to that Saturday night when she confessed pieces of her past. Naya nodded in reminiscence. "That was all true. She made me see that I can't be young forever and I had to move on if I wanted to survive... A dancer's life is hard. So now here I am… I'm nothing really. I'm just a loser behind a cash register who adds extra foam to your double caramel latte…" Heather said discouraged. She then mumbled bitterly, "It's no better than flipping burger patties at McDonald's…"

"I definitely wouldn't compare a coffee barista to a greasy McDonald's server…" Naya countered softly. Heather let a little smile slip. "And you're not a loser. I never thought you were."

"I know…" Heather sighed. "I regret how I shamefully stereotyped you as someone who would just laugh in my face. You surprised me that you didn't. I was just stupid because I cared so much about what you would think of me… because I care what you think," Heather concluded. "I realize, now that I know you, that it was a silly thing to worry about."

Naya nodded, letting her mind process everything her Latte Girl was telling her. She knew she was being honest. The way she was tenderly holding Naya's hands, the way she was looking so deeply into her eyes, the ache in her voice… She had to be a fucking damn good actress to be making all this up. Naya shook her head and laughed out loud at herself.

Heather furrowed her brow in worry.

"You're right Ash… Heather," Naya corrected with a smile, while Heather's face was about to crumple at any second. "It was a silly thing to worry about… And I guess I was a little dramatic too about everything that happened the other day. I was just surprised… I shouldn't have been so ridiculous."

Heather smiled in relief.

"You had every right to be," she told her sweetly, rubbing the pad of her thumb over the back of Naya's hand.

"So… now what?" Naya asked, looking hopefully up at Heather.

"I care about you, Naya. I want to do this right. Can… can we start over? With a clean slate?" Heather proposed.

"Okay… I think I can do that," Naya replied slowly with a nod.

Heather let go of Naya's hands and proffered her right hand out to her.

"Let's start this the proper, formal way," she said with a glint in her eyes. "My name is Heather Morris. It's lovely meeting you."

Naya chuckled as Heather repeated the same words Naya had said to her on one of the first days they spoke to each other at the café. Heather simply beamed brightly, happy to hear the Latina laugh once again. She slipped her hand into Heather's, shaking it gently.

"I'm Naya Rivera and I'm so happy to _finally_ meet you."

The two of them smiled ridiculously, content with the resolution being made. Both of course were wishing for more, but decided slow and steady was better after weeks of rushing madness.

Naya was happy. Naya couldn't imagine her days without her Latte Girl. She rather take friendship over nothing… and who knows what may happen in the near future. She was crossing her fingers that fate would play another hand in their relationship… and soon.


	13. Part 2: Chapter 12

A/N: This will be a quick note. Like always, I'm sorry for the wait. I know I promised more chapters over the holidays, but things came up. I apologize. I want to thank so many people who have sent PMs and reviews. You are all so great. I cannot believe I've come this far and I have you to thank. I always encourage your feedback!

There's been a few birthdays that are going around. I know one anonymous reader has a birthday today so I did my best to get this chapter out!

And also, there is a very special reader who leaves wonderful reviews to every time I post a chapter. I know it was your birthday quite a while back, and I'm basically a month late… but here's to a very very happy birthday iWatchTheStars! I'm sorry for being so late.

Finally, I know I have flaws as a writer, and I'm delving into a part of this story that may not be my strength. I by all means do not work on a set nor do I know anything really about the aspects of television filming. I'm simply assuming from what I've read before or reason logically. So I apologize for any errors there. I've also decided to split this story into two parts per say. This part focusing a new part of the girls' relationship together.

So now here's to new beginnings! Enjoy the next installment of The Latte Girl!

(Shout outs to sarake_leeg and fossil_10 as always! Also, thank you defygravity79. It's lovely chatting with you cause you've been secretly giving me ideas ;) )

Disclaimer: This fic is RPF! I do not own anything, this is a complete work of fiction. I DO NOT know either of these women nor am I affiliated with Glee or its creators. I also do not own the song "Taylor, The Latte Boy," by Kristin Chenoweth which this fic is loosely based on. These two are not a couple… unfortunately.

**The Latte Girl**

**Chapter 12**

Friendships are not something you can make. For Heather, she thought friendships were lucky happenstances that just occur naturally. And with Naya… she felt like it was one of the luckiest happenstances she's ever had. Life was brightening up. Heather was nothing but smiles since Wednesday late afternoon. Her sudden complete shift in mood threw off her friends around her who were starting to consider that she may be experiencing a mild case of bipolar disorder. But there was no medical diagnosis that could be placed on how Heather felt. She simply had caught a very strong dosage of Naya Rivera. She couldn't have been more content with the way her and Naya were starting afresh. Of course, she was still having difficulties restraining herself from kissing Naya's deliciously flavored lips every time she saw her… but still. Life was brightening up indeed.

Heather was weary Naya may have changed her mind over night. But those doubts were shoved aside when Naya arrived at the Black Horse Café promptly at 8:11 A.M. the next Thursday morning. The blonde barista behind the cash register had never smiled wider at a customer. When Naya ordered her normal coffee beverage, it was as if nothing had changed.

_"You came," Heather could barely contain her giddiness as Naya's smiling eyes sparkled at her when she slipped off her sunglasses._

_ "Good morning to you too," Naya chuckled._

_ "Right… sorry. Clean slate," Heather muttered to herself as a reminder, while Naya's quiet smile grew. "What can I get for you this morning?"_

_ Naya shook her head and rolled her eyes._

_ "Starting over doesn't mean you have to erase everything you already know about me."_

_ Heather hurriedly scribbled Naya's regular order on a medium paper coffee cup, her cheeks tinting pink in embarrassment. _

_ "Right… double caramel latte coming right up. $2.55."_

_ Naya gave Heather a five dollar bill already fished out from her wallet. When Heather took the bill, Naya made sure to run her fingertips briefly over her Latte Girl's. She sighed slightly at the warm touch while Heather worked the cash register to get her change. Naya discretely eyed Heather's soft features as she counted out her change. She smiled at how her nose scrunched slightly in concentration, how her blue eyes always sparkled so intensely, how her lips were such a perfect shade of pink… Naya couldn't help but chew on her lower lip. When Heather finally handed back her change, like always, Naya stuffed the extra coins and bills into the tip jar. Heather didn't even try to protest, she simply smiled contentedly at their familiar routine. She spun around to prepare Naya's latte with the biggest smile on her face, her favorite customer in the world walking over to their back corner table._

"Heather!" the daydreaming barista snapped out of her reverie and looked down to see her fresh pot of coffee was done.

"Turtle Man has been lecturing me about the importance of being a 'doting server'. Go and fucking refill his coffee!" Kaitlyn hissed as she hurriedly went back to the ever-growing line at the register.

Heather briskly walked over to Turtle Man, his emerald shirt seeming to be considerably brighter today. When she poured the fresh coffee into his empty cup, he extended his neck out curiously watching her actions with beady little eyes. She simply smiled kindly and complimented his turtleneck shirt. She couldn't get too far without him yelling for more milk and sugar. The Black Horse Café had once again restored to its bustling condition, leaving the two baristas hurrying between stations to tend to their early Monday customers. Business was great. Stressful at times, especially now that she was technically juggling two jobs.

Working on set was a dream come true. Her and Zach continued to push out number after number. She was surprised how much freedom you had with choreographing. She loved every minute of it. Of course lunch every other afternoon with Naya was nice added bonus. Still, she had to admit that it was beginning to be a little more difficult getting out of bed in the mornings. Her tired mind and aching muscles screamed at her to just stay snuggled under her blankets. Ashley continued to comment about the forming bags under her eyes. But Heather learned to enjoy the popularity at the Black Horse Café and the consistent work on set.

Kaitlyn's attitude was the contrary. She constantly complained how she had to cover extra shifts now that Heather had to miss a few mornings and afternoons out of the week. She thought of advising Reese of hiring an extra soon and for him to tell Heather to take fewer hours so she wouldn't work herself into the ground. But every time she looked at Heather's busy self she couldn't find herself to make the change. She couldn't imagine anyone replacing that air-headed, but loveable blonde…

The house was packed within ten minutes of unlocking the doors. Heather couldn't help but associate the increase in coffee orders, especially caramel lattes, with Naya. She smiled at the thought, counting down the seconds till 8:11. Heather was zooming past the entryway back to the counter to fetch more sugar and cream, when she collided gently into a small framed person who had just jingled through the door.

"Oh! Sor… Sorry…" Heather's apologize faded as her eyes landed on familiar full lips. She could recognize that smirk from under her sunglasses instantly. Heather was practically swooning by the way her tan arm discreetly slid around her waist for balance; although both of them knew she was standing quite firmly on two feet.

_What a coincidence? _Heather couldn't help but think.

The Latte Girl smiled that signature, lopsided grin foolishly at her favorite customer who simply chuckled and restrained her arm; of course sneaking a small squeeze at her waist before doing so. Naya actually knew she shouldn't have but the situation made it impossible to resist. She cleared her throat trying to keep her cool.

"You know for a dancer, you're pretty clumsy sometimes," Naya noted raising her sunglasses atop her head.

Heather laughed when she heard the coffee still sloshing around in the pot she was holding. She cocked her head to the side and looked at Naya curiously. Her eyes were obviously sunken and tired as if she was shoved out of her bed this morning. She looked like an angry lion ready to pounce anyone who disgruntled her; her slightly frazzled mane of hair added to the affect. Luckily Heather had her smiling.

"You're early."

"Yeah…" Naya sighed. "Unfortunately not to my liking. I honestly do not enjoy having to get up at five A.M., but duty calls."

Heather nodded understandingly. This morning most of the cast was called out on location to film the Safety Dance number. It was curious that Naya had to be there as well, she couldn't recall her being in the number… she figured it was because the main cast had to go as extras. It was supposed to be filmed at some mall Heather had never heard of just outside of Hollywood. Zach requested she come, but Mondays she had to open with Kaitlyn for the extra rush… even with the two of them, they were still running around trying to get everything done.

"Am I anticipating an extra espresso shot this morning?" Heather joked.

"I'm anticipating ten extra shots this morning…" Naya grumbled.

Heather just rolled her eyes.

"Heather!" Kaitlyn hissed again from behind the steamer. Then she proceeded to mouth, 'Stop flirting!' whilst giving her the worst death glare. Heather huffed as she shuffled away from Naya's side, mumbling a quick apology. Naya just shook her head with that smile on her lips, lowering her shades back over her eyes. She didn't want to make eye contact with anyone while she was still in her very unattractive morning state. If she were aggravated the slightest, she would be prone to go into attack mode.

Heather took care of a few customers in line and helped Kaitlyn with a few orders before Naya stepped up to the counter.

"One caramel latte with an extra shot on the go," Heather called out to Naya before she could open her mouth to order. Heather was already scribbling away at her paper cup. Naya smiled knowingly.

"Also a medium tea please."

Heather's head snapped back up at the unexpected changed order.

"Oh… Sure, thing. What kind?"

"Um… honestly, the healthiest thing on your menu should probably be fine," Heather looked at Naya curiously.

"Dianna," she explained simply and Heather smiled in realization.

"Of course. I actually know the perfect thing. $2.55 please."

Naya scrunched her eyebrows in confusion as she extended out her five dollar bill. She quirked an eyebrow as Heather returned her change, quite aware that a caramel latte with an extra shot and a medium tea charged more than that. Heather, noticing Naya's suspicion clarified for her.

"Don't worry about it. Tell her it's on me… I owe her anyways."

And Heather certainly did. She owed Dianna a million teas…

Naya knew she should complain, but she didn't… it would be pointless. Heather already started Dianna's tea and busied herself behind the espresso machine. She kept peeking up over the tall machine with those animated blue eyes and Naya had to bite her lip at how cartoonishly cute she looked doing that.

"I didn't know you were going to the shoot," Heather commented.

"I didn't know you _weren't _going to the shoot," Naya grumbled back, and Heather smiled quietly to herself when she heard the disappointment in her voice. She carefully poured the appropriate amount of milk in Naya's triple latte.

"Couldn't. As you can see business has been crazy around here, of course in a good way… It's too much for just one of us to handle. Besides this one here needs me more than you guys do," Heather said slapping Kaitlyn's butt when she passed by. She only glowered back at her, too flustered with work to retort anything back. Naya shook her head and chuckled.

"You'd be surprised how much we miss you on set too…" Naya said honestly. Heather blushed.

"Aw come on now. Stop making me get all shy on purpose," Heather said playfully.

"Well it's the truth," Naya simply stated matter-of-factly. "You've got quite the fanbase there Miss Morris. And I can see why. You're just too popular."

Heather smiled cheekily as she made Dianna's chai tea; a recipe she created herself. She absolutely loved flirting with Naya. When she finished pouring half the amount of soy milk she filled the remainder with coconut milk, a special component to her recipe. The final touch was the perfect dab of honey, because Dianna was just the sweetest, kindest person Heather had ever had the pleasure knowing. She couldn't be thankful for bringing Naya back to her.

"Really? I just met all of them though," Heather couldn't help, but pipe up excitedly as she looked up at Naya.

"Why would I lie? Of course everyone likes you, I knew it would happen. It was basically inevitable, Miss Homecoming Queen," Naya continued playfully, slipping her sunglasses off to see Heather properly. Her Latte Girl rolled her eyes at the reference from her old high school days.

"I totally regret telling you that."

Naya chuckled contentedly. Suddenly, Kaitlyn peeked her head out from the back.

"Heather you got a call."

"In a minute!" she turned around and hissed. "I'm kinda _busy_."

She just rolled her eyes disbelievingly. Naya's voice pulled away her attention quickly.

"You should just ask Zach to work fulltime. I'm sure he would let you."

Heather started to laugh, but when she looked up from lidding both of the drinks she saw how Naya's face turned serious. She swallowed slowly… of course she's thought about it, but she couldn't imagine quitting her job as a barista. She was too close to the people at the Black Horse Café. This old coffee shop brought her so much hope during very dark times. It was her secret savior. And in a sense, the coffee shop brought her and Naya together. She wasn't quite ready to let go just yet. She shook her head and smiled that grin again, trying to diffuse the tension.

"I can't give this up. I love it too much. Besides, how would you survive without your morning latte?"

Heather told her cheerily while placing both cups into a hot beverage carton holder and proffering it up onto the bar. Naya could only sigh and shake her head. A small reluctant smile tugged at the corners of her lips. If only Naya could make Heather see what she did… All that talent. Sometimes she wished she could do it all for her. Just for a moment, let Heather steal her motivation and drive to take everything she wants. She knew she would be amazing.

"I guess I just wanted to dream a bit for you…" Naya told her honestly with a sigh. Heather fiddled with the two thermal sleeves in her hands, not knowing how to respond. Naya was always so supportive… but Heather knew her limits.

She took the beverages from the counter and gave Heather one last look.

"I wish I could stay…" she told her longingly, but Heather understood.

"Phone Heather!" Kaitlyn requested again.

"Coming!" she continued to ignore her friend and coworker as she turned back to Naya.

"You don't want to be late. I'm excited for you to see it… live," she told her. Heather couldn't help but feel a little jealous about it.

Naya nodded, "I know it'll be amazing. And do you know why?"

Heather smiled as she looked back at Naya's shining fiery brown eyes.

"Because you made it and everything you make is perfection," Naya took a quick sip from her latte and did that barely audible contended sigh that always made Heather smile wider.

"See you around," Heather said smiling.

"Ditto."

Naya was about to turn around when Heather realized she was still holding their thermal sleeves in her hands.

"Wait!" Heather shouted… maybe a little too loudly. She ran around the counter and stood in front of Naya.

"Too sad to see me go just yet, hm?"

Heather scoffed, "Oh don't be so full of yourself. I forgot to give you these…"

She stuffed the coffee sleeves in one of the open dips in the tray. Naya chuckled.

"Hey, it's not funny you know. If you burn yourself it's a liability on me… even if those stupid cups have 'caution: hot beverage' written all over them," Heather's cheeks were still flushing anyways.

Naya continued to laugh.

"Well, I forgot something too."

She took a step forward and leaned in close to Heather, whose eyes widened and back hit the counter. Heather sucked in a breath and held it. She was scared she may go dizzy from the close proximity. Naya paused teasingly before reaching behind her Latte Girl and taking a few packets of sugar from the little holder on the counter. Mocha orbs never left ocean blue ones. She shook the packets by Heather's ear as she pulled away.

"For Dianna," she said softly with that fucking horribly, teasing smile on her lips.

She turned around and began walking towards the exit, leaving Heather frozen by the counter.

"See you around," she mimicked Heather, sweet laughter in her voice. The door swung shut behind her.

Only then did Heather finally exhale. She couldn't really register what had happened… all she knew was that all the feelings she felt that Saturday night in the kitchen spilt over her head like a bucket of water. It made her feel like all normal functioning came to a dead stop and that she was stuck in puddle of emotions. Most importantly she couldn't believe that Naya did that in public… not that anyone was really paying too much attention to them. Everyone was either impatiently waiting in line or had their noses stuck in a newspaper. Heather smiled like an idiotic fool.

"Heather!" Kaitlyn snapped yet again and Heather was broken out her trance. She scrambled to the back to get her phone call, her cheeks the color of rose petals.

"Hello?"

_"Heather! Thank God you answered."_

"Zach? What's up?"

* * *

><p>Heather zoomed down the highway, following the directions that Zach had described to her in Kaitlyn's little orange, Mini Cooper. She always thought it odd and rather cute that her tough-girl friend had such a tiny and brightly colored car. Heather could still hear Kaitlyn's voice ringing in her ears.<p>

_"Just cover for me… please?" _

_ "You're a freakin' madwoman you know? Chasing after… other madwomen," Kaitlyn grumbled as she followed Heather around as the blonde tried to gather her stuff to jet off to some filming thing that was just so important. Kaitlyn really just wanted to give her a hard time. The crowd around the café had died down considerably while she was on the phone with Zach. Heather stopped to glare momentarily at what her friend said._

_ "Whatever… I'm choosing to deal with that whole clarification with you later. Now, I really really need your car Kait," Heather pleaded, using her nickname._

_ "Fine, but you owe me one."_

_ "Totally…" Heather agreed grabbing her purse and jacket as she zoomed past the counter. "Completely owe you one."_

_ "Hey, lady! Where's my milk and sugar?" that damn Turtle Man… Heather rolled her eyes as she hurriedly went back behind the counter grabbing a fistful of sugar packets and the carton of opened milk that they use for lattes and mochas._

_ "I've been waiting for—"_

_ Before he could finish, Heather dropped the sugar packets on his table and placed the carton of milk in front of him._

_ "Sorry…" she said slightly out of breath, but her voice was still curt with annoyance. _

"_If you have a complaint about our service, then please fill out a comment card and we will do our best to not repeat the mistake," Heather told him in a rehearsed sweet voice. _

_She didn't even have time register the look on the man's face because she was already out the door. The last thing she could make out with the distinct laughter of Kaitlyn's voice ringing throughout the café. _

She pulled into the parking lot of the designated mall that she had scribbled down on a napkin. She squinted up at the sign, confirming she was at the right place before pushing through the glass doors. The mall was surprisingly small. It did have two levels, but the selection of stores she passed by didn't seem too impressive. She figured they selected the location based on area control since this was such a big number. Finding where they were going to be shooting the scene proved to be an easy feat considering the mass of people congregated around the main central plaza area. Heather eyed the four escalators and made a mental note how they were smartly placed when she heard her name being called out.

Zach waved his hand at her and she smiled brightly.

"Thank you so much for coming," Zach told her as her embraced her into a hug. "I hope it wasn't too much trouble?"

"Definitely no trouble at all," she lied.

"Tell your boss that I apologize, but it was an urgent matter."

"What happened?"

"A lot of our structure is loose here. You know how things can change once you're in the arena…" Zach sighed in frustration. "First, we were supposed to start running through the number with just the extras about an hour ago, but because of the lighting we had to move spots in the building. Then once we came here, I realized that the area to cover was a lot more, so me and a few other crew members have been hailing random early morning customers over here to fill up empty space. Worst of all we got a call from Alexis that she may be late or may not be able to make the shoot at all today."

Heather furrowed her eyebrows.

"Why isn't she coming? She's supposed to be right next to Kevin in the number?"

"We have no idea why… she didn't explain. She sounded rushed on the phone so I know that she's trying her best to get here on time," Heather didn't understand, wasn't it her job? "And yes… she was supposed to anchor Kevin."

"Well… we will just have to work with what we're given," Heather told Zach, configuring ways on how they could implement the structure of the area to give the illusion of a crowded space.

"Hey Zach…" the director of the episode strolled up to the two of them. "You haven't by chance found out Lexi's status have you?" he sounded tired already as well.

"We still don't know… she could be here anywhere from fifteen minutes to an hour or even more… She's doing her best to get here."

The tired man sighed deeply and determined to settle for the next best thing.

"I suppose we need to find a fill for her. Do you have an extra that will be able to do her part?"

"Um…" Zach said and then looked at Heather. She could practically see that light bulb turn on. "Yes! Right here actually. Joss, this is Heather Morris our superhero backup dancer for the day. She also helped me co-choreograph this number so it will be a piece of cake for her to adapt to situation."

At that moment, Heather hoped Zach was right as she smiled a big dorky smile at the director.

"Seriously, Zach is right. You are definitely our superhero today," he said shaking her hand and finally allowing himself a large smile. He pulled Zach aside to talk business and camera shots.

"Superhero now? I just feel like you have too many codenames that I'm not going to be able to keep up anymore."

Heather turned around to Dianna's soft voice. Like Naya's, her eyes looked tired too. She held her tea that Heather had made this morning cupped in both hands.

"Hey," Heather greeted brightly.

"Di… you can't just walk away from a conversation… I told you I was sorry that I dragged you out here. I thought the tea would compen… sate…" Naya's voice wandered as she followed after her friend, but it stopped in her throat when she found the two blondes chatting. An unknowing smile instantly spread her lips. When Dianna saw it form, she rolled her eyes in ridicule.

"Hi…" she said lightly, eyes completely trained on the dancer in front of her.

"Obvious much…" Dianna mumbled to Naya who was thankfully the only one to hear. The brunette glowered at her dangerously, but Dianna turned her direction to the other leggy blonde.

"Thanks for the tea, Heather."

"You're most certainly welcome. It's a personal recipe."

"Whatever you did to it, it's amazing. All I can say is I'm super glad Lea isn't here or she would have drained all of it before I could even have a taste."

"Yeah… cause you two disgustingly share everything," Naya commented.

"Whatever… we're roommates," Dianna retorted with a shrug as she excused herself. "I'm gonna go check up on, Kev. Don't blow too much steam out of those ears Naya."

Naya clenched her jaw tightly to refrain from bursting at her friend who walked away from them. She did feel bad for dragging Dianna out here for her own sake when neither of them really had to be there. Only Heather caught the slightest wink Dianna offered in her direction. Heather sucked in a breath and smiled appreciatively. The past few days Heather has become the new fascination for not only Naya but everyone else in the cast. Naya wasn't lying when she said that everyone loved her. Her infectious personality seemed to brighten the set considerably. And of course with Heather around, Naya had received the worst mockery yet. It was quite evident to everyone that Naya still had a crush on the choreographer's assistant. She figured it was pointless hiding it…

She quickly turned back to Heather.

"I thought you said you weren't coming?" her voice not as grumbly as this morning.

"I thought I wasn't either, but I guess there was an emergency here. So Zach—"

"Loves all this chit chat, but I really need _all_ your focus today, Heather," he interrupted her pointedly. He knew what happened when Naya came around… It was like something would take over her body. Heather would suddenly go aloof, she would fluster about, and her feet would oddly flop around like useless fins.

"I need you in costume and makeup, ASAP. We need to get everyone in their places so we can do the timing for the shots."

"Why can't I just wear this?" Heather asked, brows raised as she pulled at her shirt to show Zach and Naya. It was one of her loose fitting tees with a cute little duck quaking out the saying: "What the duck?"

Naya had to suppress a snort.

Zach shook his head, laughing at Heather, "No ducks Heather…"

"What's wrong with ducks?" Heather asked seriously. Naya just couldn't help but chuckle at Heather's expression. Zach on the other hand ignored the comment and called over one of the other female extras. When she came over, Heather smiled and waved at her friend and ex-roomie from ages ago. The other girl smiled back happy to see her old friend.

"Hannah, we need your shirt please."

The blonde who oddly looked scarily similar to Heather looked at the three of them confused. She glanced down at Heather's shirt and she too smirked at the cute little duck shirt. She shook her head knowingly at Heather's odd quirks. She shrugged not even bothering to ask what the need was as she pulled her top over her head, tugging down her slightly raised tank top she was wearing underneath. She handed the shirt to Zach before informing Heather that she and Ashley needed to catch up with her soon. With that she wandered back to her group of female backup dancers and Telly, also known as the guy with the fanny pack.

"Put this on and take that off," Zach told her and offered her a green striped tank. Luckily she knew that she and Hannah were practically the same size.

Heather frowned.

"Right here?"

"Yes. Come on, hop to it."

She made a dumbfounded face to her boss and then looked to Naya who also shrugged. She sighed and did as she was told. He smiled contentedly and ran off to other business with a few other extras. It's not like she cared about showing skin, she was comfortable with her body. Along with that, she was wearing a black camisole underneath so it wasn't like this was some sort of…

Heather heard a cat-call whistle sound from behind her just as she pulled her duck shirt over her head.

"Mmm… wasn't aware that this was _that_ kind of show," Mark chuckled as he slung an arm around Naya's shoulders. Naya rolled her eyes at her costar's immaturity. He could be very offensive at times... When her eyes landed back on Heather's disappointed frown, she immediately tried to shrug him off.

"I'm not naked or anything," Heather pointed out, taking the comment literally.

He chuckled again.

"I'm joking kid," then he turned back to Naya. "I guess I lose my bet that Blonde Beyoncé wouldn't come—ouch!"

Mark was shortly interrupted when the tiny brunette elbowed him painfully in the ribs. She glared at him dangerously.

"Mark is just… messing around," Naya tried to joke off through clenched teeth. It just made Heather frown deeper.

"Aw come on, hon. You know it's too much fun not to," he smiled cheekily and winked in Heather's direction. She scrunched her forehead not understanding at all what he was trying to hint at as she pulled the loose fitting, green striped top over her body.

Naya tried to ignore Mark's annoying presence and focused on the girl in front of her.

"I actually wanted to ask you something… Tomorrow night, would you like to—"

"Heather! Good you're changed," Zach said in relief when he returned from running about. Heather felt bad how stressful this whole situation was. "Okay we need to get you to makeup real quick…"

"…Makeup too?" Heather sighed under her breath causing Naya to smile widely at her cuteness.

"…And then in place for the number. I actually wanted to discuss some spacing issues as far as placing the crowd in certain areas. We want to go for the whole dance mob effect if you remember."

"Yeah, of course. I was actually thinking how those escalators could come in handy somehow," Heather pointed out the four escalators to Zach. He nodded excitedly.

"Heather, you're a genius. I knew there was a reason why I hired you."

Heather chuckled lightly as he led her in the direction of a few crew members with touch up brushes and lip-gloss. But she felt a light grasp around her wrist that stopped her dead in place.

She turned around and smiled.

"Good luck," that lovely voice rasped out to her. Heather could tell she was slightly distressed with whatever she wanted to ask earlier. She looked over Naya's shoulder at Mark who was watching the two of them closely with a raised brow.

"Thanks. I'll need it."

"Now I know that is a lie. Stop being so modest Morris," Naya toyed playfully.

Heather smiled as she began to slip away, but Naya brought her back in and whispered in her ear quickly.

"Just so you know, I liked the duck shirt better too," she said with the slightest hint of laughter in her voice. When Heather pulled away she beamed brightly at her.

"Heather!"

And for what it seemed like the millionth time today, she was pulled out of her Naya trance (as she officially called it) and sped off after Zach to tend to co-choreographer duties. Heather tried her best to comply with Zach's plea, but with Naya around, her focus would always be torn. All while filming, she continued to steal away secret glances with the actress who was off with her crowd of friends. While they were there to support Kevin, Naya was also supporting her Latte Girl secretly. Heather would spot warm brown eyes smiling brightly at her and she found it impossible to tear herself away. Any nervousness she was feeling before would instantly melt away with the smallest glance. She decided that missing minutes like this with Naya were simply too precious to sacrifice. Heart fluttering along with dancing feet, she couldn't be happier doing what she loved in front of the girl who walked into her café and turned her world upside down.

**The story continues.**


	14. Part 2: Chapter 13

A/N: Well isn't this long overdue? I must say it feels great to be back. For the millionth time I'm so sorry for the HUGE gap between updates… my winter quarter was hell and it didn't turn out how I expected (wow, I certainly feel like I'm apologizing in every author's note!). Work sort of consumed my life and I hadn't been able to sit down and write a chapter that I felt was publish worthy. But excuses aside, I truly do apologize to all those who have waited patiently, if there are even any who are still here waiting. You guys really are troopers.

I'm going to say in advanced that I don't feel that this chapter is my strongest… it is sort of a precursor of some drama that is about to ensue (and don't worry. Most of the next chapter has already been written so hopefully that eliminates a long wait!). I was debating whether or not to continue on with this chapter, but my beta and I agreed it would be best to split it up. Also a forewarning, there isn't that much Heya here. At first there wasn't really going to be any at all, but I was able to weasel some good teasing in there. However, there is a more appropriate introduction of a new character in this chapter. I hope you find them likeable ;) I would love to hear all your feedback on it.

Finally, I would like to thank a few people: my betas sarake_leeg and fossil_10 as always :). Also, I would like to give another shout out to kempokarate12. You have no idea how wonderful it was reading your in-depth reviews for every chapter. It was an honor to read and I tip my hat to you for being able to write such lengthy reviews each time! I love you for it and by no means was I freaked out at all. Sometime when I get around to it, I will PM you! But I can't express my gratitude enough.

Thank you everyone who continues to read, review, and drop a note my way. It's lovely hearing from you all and I continue to encourage your input, good or bad. There are a couple questions at the end that I felt like I needed to answer! So look out for that!

It's great to be back. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: This fic is RPF! I do not own anything, this is a complete work of fiction. I DO NOT know either of these women nor am I affiliated with Glee or its creators. I also do not own the song "Taylor, The Latte Boy," by Kristin Chenoweth which this fic is loosely based on. These two are not a couple… unfortunately.

**The Latte Girl**

**Part 2: Chapter 13**

"I know I'm late again! I'm so sorry," Heather sputtered frantically, out of breath from running from the bus stop. She still had a steaming coffee cup clamped in hand. She had to make it extra hot so it would last the trip… luckily she remembered a sleeve.

"This is the third time now, Heather…"

"I know, I know… There really isn't a legitimate excuse."

Even though Heather knew the reason why she was late was completely unjustifiable, she just couldn't help herself. Every time she tells herself not to, she finds herself at the Black Horse Café before opening hours in the morning making a double caramel latte.

"Honestly, I'm used to it by now. But really, Heather. Set an alarm or something."

"It's not oversleeping… It's—"

Heather tried to explain, but was interrupted by a soft, "Morning."

Heather turned and her face instantly lit up. When she felt her cheeks start to burn she tried to contain herself… She knew she was a dork, but she was trying her best not to look so foolish, especially when she was trying to impress the actress in front of her.

"Are you scheduled for rehearsal today?" it was pretty difficult to mask the bubbling excitement in her voice at the thought of working with Naya in a number. She has yet to do so…

Naya smiled coyly and opened her mouth with what Heather assumed would have been a witty remark, but Zach stopped her.

"Nope! No… I get that you two are best friends and everything, but I cannot have you hanging around here today causing your little distractions."

"What distractions?" Naya asked innocently.

"You very well know what I'm referring to, Naya…" Zach grumbled almost angrily.

"Geez… sorry old man. I forget I shouldn't kid."

This time Heather glared at Naya, hinting that she should be nice. Even still, her form of glaring involved adorable scrunched up lips that Naya just could not get over nor take seriously. It just made her smile broader. Fondness was always evident in those blue eyes and Naya got the message almost instantly.

"Okay, okay… Nobody get all frowny. I'll be on my way. I was just stopping by, to clarify… I wasn't going to hang around and watch like I have nothing better to do," Naya countered, even though that is exactly what she did yesterday while Heather performed Safety Dance. Naya hadn't truly seen Heather perform like that before and it was one of the most outstanding things she had ever got to witness. She was tremendously proud of her. She knew Zach was too. Naya hoped it was a step in the direction of a permanent position here, where she could see her every day so freely. Well, except when Zach interfered like this…

"Good. Heather is all mine today, no sharing for you Naya. We have serious work to do today."

"We do?" Heather asked blankly.

"Yes, and I'm very excited about it. So off now little one, before I call Telly after you," Zach began to gesture Naya away who pouted causing Heather to giggle.

When Naya was about half way out, Heather remembered the coffee in her hand.

"Oh, wait up!" she called, jogging over to the shorter brunette.

"Oh, come on Hemo!" Zach sighed but waved his hand at the two giving up.

Naya stopped and smiled back at the blonde, giggling at Zach's exasperated pleas that always seemed to fail when it came to getting them to be productive.

"Hemo? Nickname?" Naya called out to her as the blonde approached her.

"Yah, like… Heather Morris except mushed together," she tried to clarify as if the mash-up name was obvious. Naya shook her head and rolled her eyes, smiling nonetheless.

"I like it."

Heather smiled, "Yeah, I guess it kinda caught on in high school."

Naya sneaked a glance at Zach over Heather's shoulder. He was tapping his foot impatiently.

"I'll have you know that I'm devising little plans to sneak you away from this miserable place. That old hag over there seems to be sucking all the fun out of this lately," Naya joked in a light-hearted whisper. Heather's laughter sang from her throat.

"Oh let him be, Naya. He's just being little, sarcastic Zach."

"Yeah, that and a little cockblocker."

Heather raised a brow, thinking Naya made a mistake in her phrasing, but the actress stood her ground on the statement. She simply smiled that little smirking smile like always. Heather shook her head trying to organize her thoughts. Naya always threw her off when she started being all forward like that… she kept changing the game and sometimes it really made the blonde perplexed over what she wanted. She tried to keep her cool as she inevitably felt heat rise to her cheeks.

_Clean slate…_ she had to keep reminding herself that.

"Morning coffee," was all she said in polite response as she extended out the cup to Naya. Then she added, "Free of charge."

Naya smiled gently as she slipped the needed caffeine from the barista's hand.

"You know, you don't need to do this every morning."

"Yeah… so?" Heather shrugged. It just made Naya smile wider. She took a sip and did that adorable sigh.

"Lunch?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Awesome, I'll come and fetch you then," Naya said laughter in her voice.

"Yeah, sure thing," Heather said smiling happily at Naya. Just as Naya turned a flustered red-head came bustling into the tinshed with a large cup of coffee in her hand; it was not unexpected that it was from Starbucks. For some reason, that was already an automatic turn off for Heather. She began to chew on her fingernails anxiously.

"Sorry, am I late?" she spoke out in a soft, slow drawl. Heather cocked her head to the side at the unexpected twang.

_She certainly didn't have that in the show. But then again she doesn't really say much at all in the show in the first place…_

"Don't worry Lexi, this one just got in," Zach said, placing his hands on Heather's shoulders.

"Well perfect then," Alexis chipped in and then looked between Naya and Heather who were standing comfortably close. The corner of her lip quirked higher into her smile as she observed the two interact silently. "Is Naya working on a number with us today?"

"No, she's just derailing us from doing anything productive…" Zach lectured once again. Naya rolled her eyes at Zach's overdramatic tendencies.

"Alright… I'm going for real this time. Keep your panties on, Zach," she told him.

Naya offered one last smile to Heather before leaving. Little did Heather know when she turned around to discuss work with her two colleagues for the day was that Naya made one last glance over her shoulder, but her eyes were set on a different dancer in the room. A slight sense of worry shot through the actress's eyes as she clenched her lower jaw. She escaped the tinshed before anyone could catch her contemplating expression.

* * *

><p>Alexis proved to be hard to figure out. Heather couldn't quite pin point how she felt about her… but there were a couple things she noticed. The first and main thing Heather found out about working with Alexis was her ability to communicate to people with using the least amount of words possible. The most movement her lips did was smile widely or scrunch up when slightly confused. Although the latter rarely happened. She also had incredibly white teeth and seemed to missing sweat glands… Heather was literally sweating bullets, whether it was from the cramped garage-type studio they were in or the fact that she was trying to outperform the girl who basically stole her role in Glee.<p>

It didn't matter how hard, Heather tried… The red-headed ball of smiles was flawless. Every move she did was built upon absolute perfection. Even her toes and fingers would always be in the correct placement. It was rather incredible really… She could only be described as a natural. She had never seen anyone so flawless in their dance technique. The way her muscles flexed and ligaments stretched indicated how her body underwent years and years of professional training. And it baffled Heather because they were practically the same age. It just made her all the more jealous, but understanding of why she had landed the role. She deserved it…

Not only was her dancing perfect… _she _was perfect. Heather hated how much she admired how beautiful and timeless her face was and how it belonged to such a toned figure. Her eyes glinted a cool, steel blue that pronounced themselves under naturally long eyelashes and high cheek bones. Her bright red, soft curls clashed wonderfully with her porcelain skin and light, dust of freckles on her nose. She made a perfect southern-bell.

Her appearance made her understand what those Glee producers were talking about a year ago… she did bring color and character to the three Cheerios.

The instruction went rather smoothly. Alexis never really asked that many questions, she caught on quickly, she took both Zach and Heather's advice compliantly… But there was something that felt a little… off. Heather would randomly catch those steel, blue eyes watching her in the studio mirrors; stealthily trying to glance away whenever she spotted her doing so. It wouldn't have bothered Heather if she knew Alexis was trying to mimic the dance, but she certainly wasn't looking at her feet. She had probably grasped the whole thing by the first run-through. It made Heather feel a bit uneasy no matter how hard she tried to ignore it.

When they finished the last run-through the three of them sat down sipping water and stretching, tired dancers' legs.

Heather was gulping down her water like a maniac when Alexis spoke to her.

"You're pretty good," she said with that soothing drawl. Heather thought she would get annoyed with the slight accent, but she unfortunately found it kind of relaxing… But it didn't matter how relaxing your voice was, that comment would take her by surprise either way.

"Um… thanks?" she mumbled after swallowing.

The ginger smiled wider and even gave a little giggle. Heather really didn't get how she was so amusing to people all the time…

"Hey, Zach… this one certainly can give me a run for my money. You pick 'em well," she called out to their choreographer.

Heather didn't know what to do with all the flattery. She just blushed bashfully and looked at her stretching toes.

"Yah, she's a real charmer," Zach snorted playfully and Heather gave him a cross look. Alexis, on the other hand, just smiled brightly, like it was the only thing she could do.

"I think we're good for the day, Lexi. I just wanted to catch you up on what you had missed in the past few days," Zach commented as Alexis had missed the Safety Dance shoot and the remainder of the work day due to the "emergency trip" she had to make over the weekend.

"Thanks, Zach. And again… I truly apologize for being gone recently. I've had… a lot going on," her voice faded slightly. Heather raised her eyebrow curiously, but didn't have the guts to question.

"Of course. Personal errands always come first," Zach told her understandingly, even though he had been ridiculously stressed by the day set back. He turned to Heather, "And you get your lunch break."

Heather's eyes lit up and she couldn't help but do a little fist pump. Zach rolled his eyes at her. She was excited to get away from this slightly awkward situation and to get her daily dosage of Heather and Naya time.

"But don't get too carried away! I know how you and Naya like to take extended lunch breaks. We've still got work to do," Zach lectured and Heather nodded like a child being told specific directions from her parents.

Zach excused himself from the tinshed, explaining that he had a meeting with Ryan that afternoon. Once he left, Heather instantly missed him as the tinshed reverted to silence. The two dancers stretched and sipped on water silently, Heather wishing that Naya would hurry and get her for lunch.

"So, how long have you been dancing?" Alexis suddenly broke the silence. Heather looked up surprised. She reasoned she was simply trying to make small talk with her although she didn't really understand why. She thought the Glee cheerleader would have more important things to run off to. Heather decided against being rude and replied back politely.

"Since as long as I can remember really… I think my mom made me go with my sister to dance class when I was like one or something. After that I went ever since."

"So it was a parent thing?"

"No… it was a me… thing…" Heather answered lamely, albeit honestly. Alexis just chuckled.

"Gotcha. It's important to do things that _you_ love and not what others tell you to love."

"Yeah. My friends remind me of that all the time," Heather replied back, still thinking about Naya.

"Then you have smart friends."

"Certainly do," she agreed.

"I meant what I said earlier though. I like the way you dance…" she told Heather, those steel blue eyes looking towards her intently as if she was trying to tell her something hidden behind them. "You dance like you're wearing your heart on your sleeve. That's hard to do…"

"Surprisingly, I learned it from my dad…"

"Was he a dancer?"

"Oh no," Heather chuckled heartedly. She smiled at the memory of him, "He just always told me to be honest with everything I do. Lately I haven't been the best at honesty, so I'm trying to go back to my roots."

"Those are wise words."

"Yeah, well he was a pretty wise man."

Lexi left it at that, choosing not to pry any further as she could tell it was a sensitive topic. And Heather was thankful for that.

_So maybe she wasn't all that bad... _

"How long have you been dancing?" Heather would try at this whole small talk thing…

"Oh since I was in the first grade I think? It was because of my older sisters too actually. I would watch them in their ballet class every day after school and think to myself, 'I can do that'. One day, one of my sisters rolled her ankle so she was out of class for about a week. So, being my self-determined young-self, I stole my sister's ballet shoes and stuffed them with my socks so they would fit and started dancing with the older girls," she chuckled at her childish self, Heather laughing with her.

"I was a pretty rebellious kid… I loved to prove people wrong," Lexi said lowly, peering at Heather jokingly from under those long eyelashes.

Heather smiled. That was something she was rather familiar with in her own youth.

"Ever since then, dance was all I've ever known. I got pretty competitive with it… teachers saw I had potential so my parents paid the money to get me the best instruction in the county. This is all I've ever been good at to be honest. I knew that if I didn't make myself with dancing, then I would have had to marry someone rich," she joked. Heather laughed, but she knew she probably would have if that did happen.

Heather continued to pick at her nails, occasionally looking up at the door for Naya.

"I didn't know you were so close to, Naya," Lexi brought up as if she knew Heather wanted her to walk through the door.

"Yeah… things kind of just clicked I guess," Heather answered vaguely with a shy smile.

"She seems so much happier since you came around," Alexis smiled genuinely. "It's good that Naya has that."

Heather raised an eyebrow, a secret smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Lexi could spot it anyways.

"What do you mean?" Heather asked softly.

"Well, when I first met her she liked to keep to herself. It wasn't till she got to know Kevin, Dianna, and Lea and such when she really started to become more comfortable on set."

"You two aren't close?" Heather found herself asking without her mind's permission. The fact that Alexis didn't mention herself in that list of people was the only thing she seemed to notice about the statement. The ginger chuckled.

"You kinda say it how it is don't you?"

"Um… Well, I sometimes just say things when they come to mind. I didn't meant to—"

"No, I admire that," Lexi chuckled again. "But Naya and I? Don't let T.V. fool you, sweetie."

Heather furrowed her brow.

"It's not that we aren't friends," she began to clarify. "We certainly do get along. It's just not like what you see on Glee. That's all scripted… There was a point where we couldn't be separated when we first started working together. I was so intimidated being on set with all these actors and actresses with so much background. Everyone seemed to know what to do. I was just the girl who came from a small-town in the Midwest. But luckily Naya was there to really show me the ropes. We were kind of each other's anchors during the entire process."

"But not anymore?"

Lexi smiled sadly, "I was there for her and she was there for me, professionally. It didn't really go much deeper than that, I hate to admit. We may say so otherwise during interviews, but that's all to please the fans. We're required to show them we're all best friends and spend every minute of the day together. It's true for some of us… but not all of us. Naya and I now? Well, I think our hearts have grown in different directions."

Heather pondered silently on what Lexi was telling her so freely. She examined that perfectly sculptured face and the look of what seemed to be regret.

"Or maybe she just got tired of me," Lexi tried to joke in order to lighten the mood.

"I see…" Heather fiddled with her fingers. "What happened?"

"You sound so intrigued?" Lexi raised an eyebrow.

"Well… I mean… I'm just curious."

"It's okay, hon. I really don't mind. I'm pretty open about this stuff when I'm actually allowed to say what I want."

"Sure," Heather confirmed, understanding the pressures of what can and cannot be said when being interviewed by the media.

"I won't lie. It started when she got with Mark. You know they dated right?"

"Yah, she may have mentioned that," Heather said quietly, as she began to feel this icky churning feeling in the bottom of her stomach.

"We sort of stopped hanging out after they got together. It wasn't just her fault, it was mine too. Long story short, when they broke up it was never really a break up. I feel like there will always be something between them, but that's just me," Heather couldn't help, but see a flicker of jealousy flash across steel blue eyes. But the moment she thought she saw it, it disappeared.

"But you don't want to hear about that. It's all in the past now."

Heather could only nod. The comment about Mark made her feel… tired. Thinking about Naya possibly still having suppressed feelings for Mark made Heather's mind sputter about like a failing engine. It made her dizzy, like her head continued to run or more so sprint on a treadmill she could not get off. She was hopelessly searching for clues that Naya left behind, but she couldn't remember any inkling that she may still like Mark. But then again, Heather could have been so distracted by just _being_ with Naya that she may not have noticed… not to mention she was an excellent actress and there were certain things about her that would always remain a mystery to Heather.

Her thoughts took her off into her little world when Alexis spoke up again, clearing her throat.

"I wanted to thank you. Personally…" Lexi piped up shyly with her slow drawl. Heather cocked her head to the side, expression lost.

"For filling for me on Monday," she clarified.

"Oh, of course," Heather nodded with a sweet smile. "You were definitely missed."

"Hon, you don't have to lie for me," she told her bluntly. It took Heather by surprise, but then again this whole conversation has been a surprise.

"I—"

"The cast probably didn't even realize I was missing. I'm not particularly close to anyone…"

Heather remained silent, shocked by Lexi's personal confession… she had no idea how different things were like on set than how she had imagined it.

"Things never really 'clicked' with anyone sadly…" she quoted Heather dimly causing the bubbly blonde to frown. Not being one to fear physical comfort, Heather bravely placed her hand over Alexis's and squeezed it gently. The third Glee cheerleader looked back up at her surprised.

"I think we click," Heather said sweetly. Lexi smiled back and gave a small chuckle.

"You're just too nice, sweetie. You're never gonna make it in this business if you're gonna be like this," Lexi's smile seemed to ring in her voice.

"Yeah… I get that one a lot too. But I don't think it's any fun accomplishing things when you're just being mean all the time."

Lexi laughed again at the blonde's logic and nodded. She found it intriguing how her thought process worked.

"You've gotta point."

"Mhm… and you know… my Dad also always told to never care what others think. They're probably distant because they're all jealous of how talented you are."

Lexi continued to smile at her words.

"Well, that's where I see things a little differently from my Dad… I think it's because they truly respect the talent you have and choose to let you showcase it individually. When someone has the ability to understand that aspect in a relationship and step aside to let the other shine, I think they click perfectly."

"I forgot how nice it was talking to dancers," Alexis finally replied after soaking up Heather's words.

Heather laughed lightly and beamed her goofy grin.

"I feel the same way."

And Heather did. She tried her hardest to hate the girl who landed the role she had always dreamt of… but she found it was impossible to do so. Heather already knew it was a lost cause, because she's never really hated anyone in her entire life. Still… she thought she would have accumulated some sort of disdain towards the ginger, but there was something so nurturing and kind about her. Heather knew that they would make a good friendship.

Alexis gave one more smile and a nod, as if approving of something.

"I should get goin'… I've got a lot to catch up on since I've been gone…" Lexi gave a small sigh as she got up and collected her things. Heather grabbed her hoodie and retied her bun so she would at least look semi-decent for Naya. She checked her reflection in the mirror too, just for good measure.

"Understandable. You're such an important person. It's good to be busy."

"I suppose, if ya like to see it that way," Heather didn't understand why her voice sounded so disheartened, but she choose not to delve into it.

"Oh and don't let what I told you about Naya make you second guess anything. The people here are genuinely good people, like you said. Unfortunately I never gave myself the chance to get to know them. But you? You've got something special here. They all love you from what I heard around."

Heather smiled and blushed shyly, "Thank you… for this. It's nice talking to someone who just… knows how it all feels."

"Of course. It's a different transition. The ones who make it are those who already know themselves from the start and who have strong enough hearts to remember that foundation. I only know a few people like that," she gave Heather a supportive wink. The red-headed dancer turned to leave when Heather piped up suddenly as a thought came to mind.

"Oh, Alexis. I have one more question."

"Please, the only people that call me Alexis are my Mom, my agent, and whoever makes the credits on Glee."

"Right… Lexi," she said softly.

Heather fiddled with her fingers as she contemplated over the question. She had been wondering this ever since that Wednesday afternoon when Naya first mentioned it to her. Eventually curiosity ate away at her and she blurted out her question in a stutter.

"Did… did Naya like anyone else? Before Mark?"

Lexi rose her eyebrows in surprise at the question. She had always suspected from what people had said, but she was skeptical. The fact that Heather asked this and was waiting for the answer on pins and needles simply confirmed it. She smiled knowingly as she eyed the blonde dancer carefully. She always knew Naya had pretty good taste.

"I know, random… It's totally okay if you don't wanna answer that," Heather tried to cover with a blush.

Lexi chuckled and tried to tease, "Funny that you mention that. There was actually this one girl… God, what did they call her?"

She pondered to herself as she legitimately couldn't remember the nick name. Heather's heart leapt just by the fact that Lexi had said 'girl'.

"Blonde… Rihanna? Madonna? Something of the sort... I don't remember. She was some dancer that came in for a day before I started working. I never met her, but I certainly heard a lot about her," she chuckled brightly at the memory. "Those were the good old memories that I like to keep of Naya. The dorky, love-struck ones."

Heather smiled widely as all the pieces clicked together. She kinda had an inclination from what everyone whispered behind her back when they thought she wasn't listening. This talk of one 'Blonde Beyoncé' returning back to the set of Glee made things pretty evident. But then again, it was _never_ smart for Heather to assume anything. It always got her into trouble.

"Don't tell her I told you that," she pointed at Heather who was smiling with that 'love-struck fool' expression Lexi was all too familiar with.

Heather's head bobbed up and down with a promise.

"Right, of course. Lips are sealed."

"Good girl."

Just as Lexi began to walk out, Naya was confidently striding in. Her footing faltered ever so slightly as she saw the two dancers exchange smiles. She clenched her jaw nervously before putting on her own fake façade.

"Oh, hey Lexi. Didn't know you had a full rehearsing period today," even though she tried, she couldn't mask the wavering jealousy in her voice.

"Yeah, I was just straggling behind to catch up with the newbie on set," she smiled towards Heather and nodded to herself. Her smile was laced with something that Heather couldn't figure out… like a solemn conclusion had just come to terms. The blonde cocked her head to the side at her new friend's expression. "She's definitely going to make a wonderful addition to the cast and crew."

Heather blushed, "Thanks for the chat, Lexi."

"Of course, see you around," she waved over her shoulder as she left the confines of the tinshed.

Naya's brows were raised during the entire exchange.

"Since when were you calling her 'Lexi' now?" she tried to ask casually.

"It is her name isn't it?" Heather chuckled playfully.

"Right… Sorry," Naya tried to wave away the odd funk she was in. She smiled at Heather. "Rehearsals went well then?"

"Yeah in a sense. It was definitely… different. I'm just happy you're finally here to steal me away," Heather said with a soft smile. Her Latte Girl's words seemed to reassure her, letting Naya's smile stretch wider.

"It's my pleasure. I feel like I could eat forever," Naya said exaggeratedly and Heather chuckled rolling her eyes at just _how_ much Naya could truly eat. It marveled Heather how she could stay so thin and barely exercise. The small brunette linked arms with her and tugged her towards the exit.

"Before we go… I have a question I feel like I need to get off my chest," Heather brought up. She knew if she didn't it would eat away at her, preventing her from enjoying her lunch.

"Okay," Naya replied, slightly hesitant as she faced Heather.

"I promised to be honest with you…. And I hope you'll be honest with me," Heather began softly. Naya's eyes glimmered inquisitively at Heather. "Do you still have feelings for Mark?"

Naya raised her eyebrows and tried to suppress a snort thinking it was a joke. When she realized Heather was serious, she straightened her face. She was slightly taken aback by seriousness of the question.

"Mark? No. Definitely not," she said with a reassuring smile. When Heather remained silent, simply chewing on her lower lip apprehensively, Naya further creased her brow and placed a hand on the blonde's forearm.

"You're joking right? We're just friends and he's the type of guy who can really understand what I'm going through…" Naya said softly as she looked to Heather, smile widening and giving the dainty wrist a light squeeze.

"Besides, you know what he put me through when we were together," she said still trying to keep it light-hearted.

"I know… it just seems like you two never got over each other. And people talk…" Heather felt stupider the more she continued to speak her thoughts aloud. Naya scrunched her eyebrows at this and dropped Heather's wrist.

"And what exactly are people saying?" she asked defensively, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well… Just stuff," she mumbled, not wanting to give out any names. Naya rolled her eyes to the floor obviously hurt that people… the people she thought were her friends… were apparently spreading rumors about a long forgotten relationship.

"Naya don't get mad…" Heather instantly regretted bringing it up.

"I don't get where this is coming from," Naya suddenly told her harshly, her walls coming up.

"Nowhere… I'm sorry I brought it up. I-I thought… That maybe you still liked him."

"Well, I don't," she said simply looking back up to Heather. Her eyes gleamed with soft embers of honesty. Heather was taken aback by how quickly the look in her eyes shifted.

"In fact, I really, _really_ like someone else right now and I'm pretty sure I've been quite blatant about it. And I'm frustrated… I'm frustrated because I know that they're interested too, but they can't seem to build up the courage to take the initiative and ask me out on a freakin' date," Naya told Heather.

Heather's face scrunched in confusion.

"Wait what?" she asked gently. "Naya? You said you wanted to take it slow… clean slate?"

Naya just sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

She mumbled quietly, "Just forget it. I actually forgot to run something by Mark…"

When she saw Heather's frown deepen she rolled her eyes.

"Or wait, maybe I should just text him so people won't get the wrong idea and 'talk' about it behind my back," once Naya made the reference she instantly wished she could take it back by the physical look of pain that read across Heather's face. It didn't matter now… the words were already spoken. She would blame her instinctive defensiveness that told her to block everyone out later.

"You know I didn't mean it like that. I—"

"Whatever… I've gotta go," Naya said quietly brushing away from Heather.

"Wait, Naya… what about lunch?" Heather tried hopelessly.

"I suddenly lost my appetite," she said sadly and added, "I'll talk to you later."

And she was gone… again. Heather stood there, confused and lost on how the conversation had led to Naya walking out like that. It was just a question… She didn't understand how that question leapt from playfulness, to defensiveness, and then to accusations. _They were taking it slow right?_ True they were being flirtatious, but she just assumed that's how they always had been. How was she supposed to know that Naya wanted her to ask her out on a date? If she knew that, she would have asked her days ago. Heather sighed… not knowing what Naya wanted was going to be the death of her because she knew she wouldn't be able to stop thinking about it.

This picture seemed to becoming all too familiar. The odd thing was that she still had no idea how a simple, and admittedly stupid question, came to this.

* * *

><p>Here are the answers to some of your questions! I encourage you to continue asking! :)<p>

Kempokarate12: Hi there! Again, I greatly appreciate all your feedback. I suppose in this chapter I covered a little bit of Heather's relationship with her father. But as you said, it's a rather personal topic that I rather not delve too far in to. I don't think I'd be able to give the emotion justice… I can't imagine losing a loved one like that at such a young age, and I dare not try. I doubt I will bring it in as a big factor in the story… it would most likely be a small note or reference like I did in this chapter.  
>(P.S. I love me some angst too haha. So don't worry, the next chapters you will get your heart's worth.)<p>

Jac Lag: Thanks so much for keeping with me! I'm sorry you think they've cooled down! I'll do my best to keep the tension and keep the relationship interesting. There will be more dynamics that come into play in the very VERY near future. The time 8:11AM refers to the time in the song Taylor the Latte Boy by Kristin Chenoweth. The song is what inspired this fic, so I tried to integrate a lot of the lyrics into the story. If you have a listen and read back I'm sure you'll spot them instantly :) As far as others noticing Naya I try to play that factor on the down low because I decided to focus this fic more about the girls than on the publicity and media aspect of it all (however that will come into play later… yes spoiler!). And yes, some of the characters from the coffee house will reappear. One that many probably won't remember is actually going to appear in the next chapter or so.

I also don't really know all too much of the flavors of coffee as to what tastes good with what! I kinda improvise with that and try to match certain flavors with the personalities of the characters/actresses on the show! Anyways thanks for the feedback and hope you continue to read!


	15. Part 2: Chapter 14

A/N: A new update and a shorter wait as promised! I suppose a surge of inspiration hit and thankfully so. This chapter is a long one so be prepared… and sorry if the scenes jump around too much. I really wanted to get everyone's POV in this chapter. I want to firstly thank everyone for the positive as well as the constructive reviews. I'm taking all of them to heart, I promise. I would love to clarify some things to a few of the readers before I continue the story because I think some confusion happened with the last chapter, which is completely understandable. If you would like to get to the chapter, skip down a bit…

First of all, I would like to clarify AGAIN that Heya will be endgame in this story. I can't be any more clear than that guys :) Also, I would like to say that I've stuck very close to my plan of events for this story thus far, except for the occasional minor request by a reader (i.e. More appearances of certain characters like Dianna or Ashley, or more flirting, more angst, etc). So, as many have asked, there will be a lot of answers in this chapter which I wasn't planning on including till later.

I feel like the response to Lexi's introduction was how can I put it… explosive? Haha. Definitely didn't expect such a reaction, but I know people dislike others coming between Heya. I would like to say now though that Alexis and Naya NEVER had a 'thing' together, nor did Alexis have a crush on Naya or vice a versa. Sorry if I didn't make that clear. I think this chapter goes over the tension between them so people won't be as confused… sorry that I did make it confusing in the first place. Also, there will **not** be any new love interests for either Naya or Heather. There may be silly encounters, but nothing for your little Heya hearts to worry over.

I do hope I was able to clear up most of the debacle here in this rather long author's note… if you would like to further discuss anything feel free to drop the question in a PM! Believe me, I love questions :) I really do love that you guys are so involved with the story; it lets me know that people still care about what I have to tell.

I am very, very excited for this chapter and for what I have in store for the next. I have a lot planned, so I do hope you all stick with me. I thank you so much for sticking with me _this_ far. You're all amazing.

Shout outs to sarake_leeg and fossil_10 for being my rocks and my beacons in dark times :) Love you two so much. Hope you guys like this one. Enjoy!

(Sorry… long A/N!)

**WARNINGS**: Quite a bit of ANGST ahead. Also, some Taylor bashing (I do not know anything about Heather's real boyfriend and mean no offense to him).

Disclaimer: This fic is RPF! I do not own anything, this is a complete work of fiction. I DO NOT know either of these women nor am I affiliated with Glee or its creators. I also do not own the song "Taylor, The Latte Boy," by Kristin Chenoweth which this fic is loosely based on. These two are not a couple… unfortunately.

**The Latte Girl**

**Part 2: Chapter 14**

"Stop being all mopey. It was your fault this time!"

"You kind of attacked her out of left field, Naya. And when a response to a question is defensive like that it tells the other person that the answer isn't a good one. _Do_ you still have feelings for, Mark?"

"This all feels awkward talking about Mark without him here…"

"We're not telling Mark to come here for a silly reason that doesn't pertain to him. This is Naya's business and no one else's."

"And Heather's…"

"Since when did Tuesday Glee nights become 'Naya therapy nights'?"

"Seriously, everyone? I did not ask for this. You were the one who brought it up," Naya finally let out in a sad grumble as she pointed at Cory who was innocently sharing a bag of Pirate Booty with Harry.

"Can we please just… drop it," she sighed heavily as she shifted uncomfortably in the crook of the couch she was sitting in. Everyone seemed to settle down after hearing the tone in Naya's voice.

She had been silent all night, only choosing to tell Dianna and Lea what had happened earlier that day before everyone else came over for their weekly Glee viewing party. They were also the only two that really knew of her plan to invite Heather over that night for the festivities. It was only a matter of time for them to ask her what had happened when the bubbly blonde Latte Girl didn't show. She figured she might as well have gotten it over with before the whole entourage came. However, Naya didn't realize how much of a mistake it was to tell things to Lea… they always seemed to get out of hand. Now, once again, Naya's love life was the hot topic of the night. She felt secluded after what Heather had told her.

After hearing everyone rant to her about the situation it made her feel guiltier by the second. She knew she overreacted… she always did. She didn't mean to call Heather out like that, because she wasn't the one to blame. She was just the innocent messenger. But the whole situation made her nervous. People always talked…. She was used to the rumors and all the made-up jargon fabricated by the media. But it seemed to cut a little deeper knowing that her friends were talking about her behind her back. She drew herself in at the thought, pulling at her oversized hoodie.

"We're sorry, Naya. Dianna was right. It's none of our business," Cory apologized sincerely. Naya offered a weak smile back, indicating that she accepted it even though it didn't make her feel much better about herself.

Everyone looked to each other and then back at Naya, all silently agreeing to make an effort to cheer up their friend. Kevin was the first to speak as he cleared his throat.

"Ya know Bee… we only do this because we know that you two would make the finest and hottest couple in Hollywood. You two are like our glue on set. You complete our little circle and it just doesn't feel right anymore seeing one of you without the other…"

"Yeah… it's like a never ending reel of two-shots," Chris chipped in as a side-note.

"But we'll do our best to stay out of it," Jenna included. "We understand that building a relationship should be between the two people involved. It's just tempting to know all the gossip."

"Not that it's gossip at all," Cory added cautiously making Naya shake her head at him in amusement. Dianna rolled her eyes, making him raise his hands in question.

"We care, to put it simply, Naya. We want you to be happy," Dianna said comfortingly as she rubbed her upper arm. It was the same words she would always remind Naya whenever she was down. Naya smiled appreciatively, knowing her Big Di would always be there to give her the truth. Even when the truth was painful sometimes…

"Exactly. What would make you happy, Naya? Right now at this very minute?" Lea asked enthusiastically.

"For you little minions to all shut up and watch the episode," Naya said sarcastically. Everyone chuckled happily seeing that she was getting back to her original self.

Then she added seriously, eyes trained at her hands, "To apologize…"

"It's okay, Naya," Cory told her before immediately receiving a smack in the shoulder by Amber.

"Not us idiot," she hissed. He winced, rubbing at his arm.

When she looked up everyone was looking at her expectantly. She sighed and rolled her eyes at the lot of them looking like lost little puppies.

"I was actually going to invite her over tonight to watch the episode with us, but stupid me had to go and ruin everything…" she fiddled with the drawstrings of her hoodie.

"I suppose I deserve it if she doesn't want anything to deal with me…"

"Don't say that… You don't know how she feels. It's never right to assume until you've talked to the other person," Lea reassured.

"For once, I actually agree with her," Dianna confirmed.

"Oh shut up, you agree with me on everything," she barked back loudly and Dianna rolled her eyes at Lea's overdramatic outbursts. She turned her attention back to Naya.

"Well what am I gonna do? It's not like I can do anything till tomorrow morning when I see her at the café and who knows if she'll let me talk to her, let alone if I could get past her coworkers..." she said bitterly as she thought of Kaitlyn's previous threats.

As if on cue, the words both sparked the same idea in the two roommates' heads. Dianna and Lea adorned that same mischievous glint in their eyes which always caused the person on the receiving end to have a stomach twisted in knots. As Naya examined the two of them she scrunched her face up… _I really hope that's not what Heather and I look like when we get the same idea. These two just look creepy…_

Lea was the first to turn back to Naya and she smiled her over-the-top Rachel Berry smile.

"Why should you have to wait till tomorrow morning?"

Naya's eyes bounced between sharp, dark brown and soft, hazel-green nervously.

"No… no! Whatever you two are thinking, stop it right now," she said sharply looking back up at the group around her for help. It seemed that the scene before them was much more entertaining than Run Joey Run playing on the screen in the background. She knew no one was going to come to her rescue in this dilemma.

Suddenly, Dianna moved quickly to Naya's purse on the coffee table and snagged her car keys, yet again. Naya's eyes widened as she couldn't really process what was happening because she was so shocked to see Dianna move that quickly and so abruptly. It was such a random burst of energy coming from a typically mellow person.

"Seriously, Di?" Naya asked out exasperatedly. She looked out to her friends again for support, her arms flailing. "Why does she think she can just do that all the time?"

Lea jumped up and clapped her hands, "Road trip!"

"No! Seriously, no!" Naya tried to protest as she too got up, but both girls were heading towards the door of their house. Everyone else was snickering at the three of them.

"You can either come with us or wait here like a loser while we go get her!" Dianna called out behind her as she jingled Naya's keys again.

Naya rolled her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Why do I always get myself into these situations? When will she learn these ideas never turn out as planned?" she cursed at the air.

"Oh come on, Naya. Do yourself a favor. You do realize that if you don't chaperone them that they'll just make it worse?" Chris commented lightly sipping loudly from his straw of iced tea. Kevin nodded enthusiastically which made Naya just roll her eyes for the umpteenth time.

"Thanks so much for all the help guys…" she grumbled, grabbing her bag and her phone. "Oh and while we're gone I expect this place to be completely trashed. Anything less than _trashed_ will be unacceptable."

The comment just made everyone else laugh louder.

She heard Dianna obnoxiously honk her horn from outside, making her cringe. With that she huffed out, leaving everyone else in a fit of giggles. She couldn't help but secretly be thankful that her two co-stars suggested going over to Heather's. She did want to see her tonight… the idea had crossed her mind. However, she didn't ideally want _Mom _and _Mother_ to tag along with her. But all-in-all she was happy to get a chance to apologize to her Latte Girl. It would have eaten away at her till morning if she hadn't. She just hoped that Heather would be willing to forgive her bitchiness for the second time now.

* * *

><p>Heather unlocked the door to her house and shuffled in miserably. She shifted her bag off her shoulder and tossed it under the side table by the door lazily. She would pick it up later… she was too tired to care. After Naya left her in the tinshed to wallow in her mistakes, the day had only gotten worse. Zach and her started choreographing new numbers for the Lady Gaga episode which proved to be a tedious task and called for a bit of research. The two began to piece together some of the moves from her music videos while creating their own original dance styles fit for Glee. It didn't help that they went on one too many tangents when they were sifting through Lady Gaga's strange, but very contagious choreography. Point being, the process took longer than both of them anticipated. Then after work on set she had promised that she would cover part of Kaitlyn's night shift because she had some Ethnic Studies exam to study for <em>and<em> because she owed her for leaving early the day before…

"Ashley?" she called out to the house, looking over the mail on the door side table. Instead, she was greeted by Zack who zoomed in from down the hall and brushed himself against Heather's shins. She bent down to give him a fond scruff behind his ears. He purred affectionately.

"Hey buddy. Where's Ashwey?" she purred back at him.

Heather heard the television on buzzing with the last fifteen minutes of the Glee episode. She pouted by the fact that she missed it. She hoped Ashley TiVoed it for her. She picked up Zack and cradled him in her arms as she moved towards the living room.

"Hey, Ash," she called out again. "Sorry I'm late… I got caught up at the café and work on set was horrible today… I know I'm going to get a lecture from you once you hear—"

Heather froze as the words escaped her throat. Zack meowed and leapt from her arms and ran off to the kitchen at the site of the unfamiliar intruder. Her face felt prickly, as if all the blood had drained from her cheeks… as if she ran into a ghost. _Might as well be a ghost…_ Heather thought. A ghost from the past, one that she never thought she would see again or anytime soon. Said ghost stood up awkwardly from her living room couch and shoved his hands in his pockets. He gave her his signature cheeky grin and ran a nervous hand through sandy brown hair.

"Hey, Hemo," Taylor's deep voice greeted her.

_Well shit…_

* * *

><p>"Turn right, Di… right!" Naya shouted as Dianna peeled the maroon Range Rover to the right at the stop light. Naya smacked her palm over her forehead. She absolutely hated being the backseat driver… especially in her car. Lea was tweeting on her phone nonchalantly, not affected at all by Dianna's horrible driving. Naya didn't know how that small girl could handle this every morning when they carpooled.<p>

"You know, Nay, if you just gave us Heather's address we could Map it on my iPhone then you wouldn't have to get all red and fussy back there," Lea chimed in happily, still fooling around with some app on her new iPhone.

"I thought we agreed that you two wouldn't comment at all while we were doing this? Stop breaking your own damn rules," Naya barked back.

Lea just giggled, "Oh stop it, Naya. You love this."

Naya huffed, leaning forward and propping her chin in her palm. She observed Dianna's every little turn and signal between the driver and passenger seat. She felt her pulse began to race as the familiar streets led them closer and closer to Heather's residence. She wasn't sure if she was more excited or nervous. Dianna, meanwhile, had been watching Naya's switching expressions in the rearview mirror. Sure she should have been paying more attention to the road in front of her, but she was more worried about what was going on in Naya's head. She was hoping these situations that forced Naya to be more impulsive were helping her overcome her fears and go after what she wanted. It wasn't healthy to wallow in her own self-pity and hide away like a little hermit. But you could only push a person so far and Dianna didn't want to overstep her boundaries.

They finally parked outside Heather's house, the street lamp hanging just over where the car sat. Lea and Dianna looked to each other in silence before turning to their friend who was staring at the front door of the Morris and Lendzion residence. Naya chewed on her lower lip, contemplating getting out. The last time she was here she remembered running after Heather in the rain. She remembered how her smiling lips ghosted over a surprisingly warm cheek, given the unfortunately cold weather. She smiled unbeknownst herself at the memory and sighed.

_Maybe this wasn't such a smart idea? _Well, she knew that one from the get go, but maybe she should wait till tomorrow morning when she saw Heather at the café? There was always something so warm and comforting about the Black Horse Café that gave her a little more confidence when it came with her feelings. The shop would always make her feel safer…

"I don't know about this anymore…" she said almost inaudibly. If it hadn't been so silent in the car, Lea and Dianna wouldn't have caught it.

"Nay… we've come all this way. It's not a big deal?" Lea offered gently. "And we do look a bit stalkerish sitting outside her house…"

Dianna rolled her eyes at her best friend, "It's okay. You don't have to do anything, Naya. We just thought that this is what you wanted."

She offered a weak smile. She didn't want to outright admit that she was nervous because Lea was right; it shouldn't be that big of a deal. It was just an apology. The thing was that Naya truly cared the outcome of it because in this scenario she was the one to blame…

"It is guys. I really appreciate it… Maybe… Maybe I should have called or something beforehand?" continued to ramble out excuses as she squeezed at her hands.

Lea threw her head back, done with the waiting, "Gosh! Just go or I _will_ attack you!"

Naya scoffed and scrunched her face at her, expression one of total disbelief. Okay, sure Naya had never truly gotten in a real fight, but Lea? Really? She could totally take her… When Naya still refused to move, Lea took her large shoulder bag that was basically half her size and swung it over her seat, hitting Naya full force on the shoulder.

"Ow!"

Naya heard Dianna snort. Literally snort… which she would have made fun of the blonde's unladylike noise if Naya wasn't in the middle of being assaulted. Lea kept whacking her as she tried to make her way out of her Range Rover.

"Okay, okay! I'm out! Jesus…" she cursed as she stepped out of the vehicle and glared at the two. She slammed the door shut and stuck her tongue immaturely at the two actresses still in the car. Dianna rolled her eyes as Lea poked her tongue back out at her and made a cross-eyed face. Naya had to crack a smile at that.

She began to walk up the steps to Heather's place when she heard the car window roll down and Dianna shouted out a loud:

"Good luck!"

"Shh!" Naya shushed the two ridiculous women, rather immature teens, in the car. "No comments from the peanut gallery! You fucking promised," she hissed.

She could hear Lea's loud laugh sneak out of the crack of the window as it was rolling back up. Naya shook her head as she marched up confidently to Heather's door and rang the bell.

"I still can't believe those two got me to do this…" she murmured to herself. An inevitable smile crept to her lips as she thought of seeing Heather. If she kept her goal in sight and her composure intact, she was sure it would all turn out well. At least… she hoped.

* * *

><p>"You look good," Taylor continued to speak after Heather still refused to say anything. She knew that had to be a lie because after a fourteen hour day of work, she was sure she looked like a piece of shit. Heather had that puzzled look on her brow as she turned around herself trying to make sure this was her house, her couch, her cat… and that everything that had happened in the past fifteen seconds was actually real.<p>

"I get that this was completely unexpected…" Taylor chuckled out again. _That was an understatement. _"Can you say something?"

He looked hesitant… scared. He wasn't the same Taylor Heather had seen when she stepped out of the airport during her last visit to Louisiana for one of his baseball games a little more than a year ago. His frame was still tall and he still looked like his handsome, charming self with that toothy grin. That smile would always make her heart warm up and flutter with the reminder of old times. That would never change… But it was his eyes. They were sunken and they didn't glimmer that twinkling night blue as they used to.

"Um… hi?" she finally uttered out.

Heather then shook some sense into her head. When they had last seen each other they agreed to still remain close and she did consider him one of her best friends. Granted their last phone call didn't leave them on the best of terms, but she still needed to be civil. She avoided all those feelings of hurt from the past and tried her best to be polite.

"I mean, hey… Sorry, I was just… surprised," she told him with such a fake cheerfulness that would make her old classical drama techniques teacher fail her again. Taylor's tense shoulders relaxed as Heather forced out a very fake smile. She tried to give him a brief side hug, but Taylor's long arms engulfed her and wrapped around her waist. Heather held her breath, weary of the close proximity of her ex-boyfriend as old feelings inevitably began to bubble up to the surface. She was sure he felt them too as he squeezed tighter… The trouble about all these emotions burning through was how much her heart was clenching, like she was physically in pain.

_Why did this hurt so much?_ It made Heather feel dirty…

Every second that ticked by, which seemed like years, she spent thinking of someone else. She felt like she was cheating. Which was odd because she wasn't technically dating that person… While the old Heather a few months ago would have been nothing but ecstatic to see her old love come back into her life again, the new Heather could do nothing but dread this reunion. It was like her head was being hit by a cascading wave. At first all those old, warm feelings came washing back to shore, but the instant they touched the waterlines receded and all she felt was empty. It was as if she wanted so desperately to find something there, but she resurfaced with nothing but cold air. Heather wasn't sure how she was going to deal with her wavering emotions. All she did know was that this whole thing was happening at the worst time possible…

"I've been alright… better now," he answered her question into her shoulder. It made Heather chew on her lower lip anxiously. She was glad that Taylor couldn't see her expression.

Thankfully, the awkward embrace was interrupted by a stern cough.

"Heather…" Ashley called out to her harshly. Heather cringed at the tone of her roommate's voice as she entangled herself from Taylor.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I need you in the kitchen. Now, please," was all she said as she turned on her heel.

Heather clenched her jaw as she quickly turned back to Taylor, flustered with the unexpected dilemma.

"Uh… Just um… give us a sec… I'll be back," she said while retreating to the kitchen. Taylor just put his hand up to give her permission before Heather spun around and bolted to the kitchen to talk to Ashley. As soon as she entered, the shorter roommate rounded on the taller dancer. She coward away instinctively, putting her hands up in defense.

"Don't you ever answer your phone? I fucking called and texted you like a bazillion times!" she hissed loudly.

"What? I—" Ashley dug Heather's chunky cell phone from the pocket of her sweat pants to examine the several missed calls and text messages from the fuming brunette. She shoved the illuminated screen in Heather's nose.

"I get that you have to pay per text and you only use it for emergency, but seriously Heather? I'm pretty sure you could consider _this_ an emergency," Ashley emphasized pointing back to the living room.

"Don't shout… these walls aren't effing sound proof…" she mumbled as she took her phone back from her. "Sorry, I put it on silent when I was at work… I must have forgotten to change the settings."

Ashley rolled her eyes.

"What is he doing here?" Heather whispered.

"You're asking me that? How should I know? He's your ex…" Ashley retorted, then added, "I was just innocently waiting for the takeout I ordered us; mind I add they're freakin' a half an hour late. Then, when I answered the door expecting our food, I was unpleasantly surprised. Low and behold, it was Taylor standing awkwardly on our door stoop. Actually, he was ridiculously awkward, Hemo. I'm still not a fan…"

"I think any unplanned reunion with an ex is awkward, Ash," she scoffed.

"Speak for yourself," she waved away.

"You know I can uh… still hear you guys over here?" Taylor called out from the living room.

Heather glared at Ashley who shrugged, not really caring.

"Yeah, we'll be out in a minute buddy. Just watch some T.V. out there or read a magazine or somethin'," Ashley called back.

"So at least one of us in this house is enjoying Tuesday Glee Nights…" Ashley added as a snide after-comment. Heather scrunched her lips and rolled her eyes at her friend.

"What did he say to you?" Heather brought them back to the conversation.

"He just asked for you," Ashley told her. Heather breathed in deeply and Ashley's eyes softened as she saw the effect the man still had on her.

"Is there something you need to tell me?" she offered gently.

Heather snapped her wandering attention back to her roommate and furrowed her brow.

"No. I really have no idea why he's here. I didn't ask him to visit… I haven't talked to him since he called me _so_ conveniently that night Naya was at the café," Heather explained in a low whisper, trying and failing to keep this conversation between them two. She was sure Taylor wasn't watching Glee… he never really expressed any interest in the show whenever Heather would ramble on and on about it during their late night calls.

"I'm sorry…" Ashley told her empathetically, remembering when Heather had told her of that night, "You didn't give him any inkling that you may still be interested?"

Heather looked at Ashley like she had three heads.

"Are you crazy? I think I made it pretty clear in that last call…"

"Well, obviously you need to tell him better, honey, because that dude sitting on our damn couch right now flew across the country to see you. Ya know, sometimes your words can get all tangled up and could be sorta suggestive when you're trying to say something entirely opposite," Ashley said, and Heather hated admitting that she had a point. She squeezed the bridge of her nose as a pounding headache began to form.

Today was just total shit… First, Lexi tells her that Naya may still have feelings for Mark, then Naya walked out on her, and now Taylor was back wanting… who knows what. It was like icing on a towering cake that was ready to topple over any second because the baker decided to put one too many layers on top.

"What am I supposed to do?" Heather asked frantically.

"I don't know! What do you _want _to do?"

"I-I don't know…" Heather let out squeezing her eyes shut to try and rid of the battling thoughts in her head. You couldn't blame her for wanting to get some answers.

"Snap out of it, Heather," she said shaking her shoulders. "You're a mature adult who can make decisions on your own. So you need to gather up some courage here and take the initiative."

Heather's eyes widened as she looked back at Ashley, words echoing in the back of her mind:

_I'm frustrated because I know that they're interested too, but they can't seem to build up the courage to take the initiative and ask me out on a freakin' date._

"What did you just say?" Heather asked, in a daze. She felt like she was just hearing things now…

Ashley sighed, thinking that Heather wasn't paying attention to anything she was telling her.

"You gotta make a choice: stay or leave. Do you want him to stay or leave?" Ashley put up the proposition, making Heather chew on her lower lip in contemplation. Just as Ashley asked the question the doorbell rang. The short, annoyed brunette sighed again.

"It better be the fucking food or I'll murder someone…" she muttered. It managed to make Heather give a weak lop-sided, knowing how grumpy her friend got when she was hungry. Ashley started to move in the direction of the front door when Heather stopped her.

"No, wait! Come with me," she pleaded.

"I can't even if I wanted to. Food is calling my name! This is your own mess. You've gotta go tell him whatever you need to yourself," Ashley countered as she slipped by Heather.

Heather leaned against the side of the counter as if exhausted. Zack leapt up behind her and nuzzled against her arm affectionately; it was as if he knew she needed some comfort. She let out a puff of air at her bangs. It was odd… Heather never thought of herself as a coward. All her life she had always went out and did what made her happy in every aspect of her life. But suddenly she was being told otherwise…

"Just pluck up some courage, Heather, and take the initiative…" she breathed out to herself before leaving the safety of the kitchen and into the fighter's ring that had been set up in the living room.

* * *

><p>When Heather returned to her living room she found Taylor where she had left him. He was sitting on the couch attempting to absorb himself in the show. He let out a long yawn and ran a hand over his eyes. Heather wasn't sure if the episode was that boring to him or if he had been tired from the long travel. She was hoping it was the latter, but there were more important questions to ask than whether or not tonight's Glee episode was a hit.<p>

"Hi… sorry about that," she finally made her presence known as she sat in one of the lounge chairs farthest away from the couch. Taylor began to stand up awkwardly right before she sat down. She puzzled her brow at how oddly he was acting around her.

"It's no worries," he replied as he too sank back down in his seat.

"I heard you got a job on that Glee show," he pointed up at the screen as the previews for the next episode were running by. "I uh… called your Mom before I came and she told me about it."

"Oh…" was all Heather could manage.

_He would call Mom… _she thought bitterly. He shifted uncomfortably at her vague response.

"The place looks great since the last time I saw it. You two really… decorated it nicely. I was looking at all the pictures—"

"What are you doing here, Tay?" she asked, cutting to the chase. There was no point prolonging this.

She could tell it caught him by surprise.

"I wanted to see you," he told her honestly after recovering from the blunt question.

"Oh… kay?" Heather replied confused, "Is everything okay? Is something wrong?"

"No… well, yeah actually… I was put on probation," he told her. Heather's eyebrows rose in surprise. Taylor laughed at himself, thinking if he made it a joke it would make him feel better. "I'm out for the rest of the season."

"I… honey, I'm so sorry," Heather told him empathetically. She shifted over to sit next to him, reaching out to take his hand. "What happened?"

"Oh you know… Baseball parties, clubs, girls…" Taylor listed to her as he looked deeply in her eyes. She could tell he was mocking himself because those were the things she would always warn him about. "Then all the scouting and the offers… it all kinda went to my head."

Heather remained silent, choosing to let him talk.

"I was always late to practice, picking fights with teammates and coaches… I would take the glory when we won, but then I would blame everyone else when we lost. I wasn't being the team player I should have been… I was stupid, Hemo. I was constantly making mistake after mistake," he didn't elaborate much more as he wanted to keep some sort of image for his 'number one girl on the West Coast'. But Heather knew better… once attention is caught it continues to build and build, until it becomes too heavy. It only takes one extra push to tip it all over.

"I should have listened to you… the baseball star in me got a little too egotistical," he said smiling at the fool he made of himself. "I don't blame you if you want to tell me 'I told you so'…"

Heather gave a weak, supportive smile. Of course she was thinking it, but she would never say it aloud. Still, she heard the bright sound of laughter in the back of her mind because she knew it was only a matter of time that something like this would happen to him. Not that she wanted it to… but when people go looking for trouble, normally they find it in the end.

Taylor continued to speak.

"I'm such an idiot to waste everything I had laid out for me. I took advantage of my scholarship, my talent, my friends, of you…"

His deep, dark blue eyes turned to Heather. The look in those eyes reminded her so much of the past… it made her feel like that young, naïve dancer who just moved to L.A. in pursuit of a professional dancing career. It made her tremble nervously, and she couldn't help but recoil her hand away from Taylor's. He didn't seem to notice as he shifted closer to her, gaze ever-so intense.

"All that shit that started happening? It started when I ended things with you. You were always there for me, Heather. You supported me when I thought I would never make it and I just tossed you aside once I got where I wanted. Then, you still remained the bigger person when you said you still wanted to be friends. And you were my _best_ friend even though I was such a jerk. I should have never wasted what we had together," he told her, leaning closer to her. He was close enough that Heather could smell his familiar cologne emanating from his skin. Everything was becoming too overwhelming, like she was suffocating under layers upon layers of pressure. Heather squeezed her eyes tight before opening them back up again.

"What do you want from me, Taylor?" she asked hoarsely.

"A second chance," he whispered. She could feel the words brush against her cheeks. All speech escaped her throat as she just stared at him with confused and lost eyes. Taylor cupped her cheek softly and ran the pad of his thumb across the supple and flushed flesh.

Heather blinked hard, thinking if she did that when she reopened her eyes that this would all just be a bizarre dream. But it wasn't… Taylor was still sitting in front of her. He didn't lean forward to close the gap between them nor did he pressure her to say anything. He just waited for an answer. He waited for an answer that he didn't want to hear. Her mind was tortured as the same thought continued to run through her head…

_If he had come back a few months ago, things would be so different…_

She would have fawned all over the man in front of her now had he realized things sooner. She would have accepted his plea for a second chance in an instant. Back then, she was still so hopelessly in love with him, despite all the shit he had put her through… But this wasn't happening a couple months ago. This was happening in a world where she knew Naya Rivera. And that alone changed everything.

When she finally mustered up the courage to speak, it came out in a croak.

"Taylor… I…" she would start, but then she heard that laughter in the back of her head. Distinct and bright and so very familiar… She closed her eyes and tried to focus.

"I—"

That laughter rang in her ears again, but this time it resonated distinct and clear. She was sure it wasn't just her mind playing tricks on her again; she wasn't just wishfully thinking. She knew that lovely, melodious chuckle better than any song on her iPod. Heather squinted her eyes and her mouth went agape slightly as she trained her hearing towards the hallway leading towards the entrance. The expression caused Taylor to look at Heather perplexed. She got up mechanically; her legs began to move toward the sound coming from her front door.

"Uh… Heather?" Taylor asked confused.

"Shh," she pressed her finger to her lips to shush him as she continued to listen and walk towards the door. The closer she approached the entryway, the more prominent the laughter became; it made her feet move quicker.

Heather stood behind Ashley who was leaning against the opened door, revealing a laughing Naya Rivera. She was laughing so hard that small tears formed at the corner of her eyes, making them twinkle. Best of all, was that smile. It was spread so wide that it emphasized those cute little dimples on her cheeks even more so than normal. Heather would have chuckled brightly at the sight of the tiny actress on her doorstep if she hadn't been so confused as to why she was there in the first place. She looked to Ashley who was making some crude gesture with her hands, making Heather even more confused and making Naya laugh harder. She took a step closer to make her presence known, picking at her finger nails subconsciously. When Naya wiped the last few tears from her eyes and saw her tall, blonde Latte Girl through her blurry vision, her laughter quieted to a rumbling chuckle and her smile softened into a shy grin. Heather chewed on her lower lip anxiously. She felt like she had chewed on it so much today that it was becoming chapped.

She wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel. She wanted to let her emotions run free and light up happily at the sight of Naya. But she couldn't forget the dreadful feeling left by the man still sitting on her living room couch… Heather's hands became clammy as her body felt so torn. The worst part was that she knew Naya could sense there was something off as she shot Heather a concerned look. The Glee actress rolled her eyes to the ground nervously as she smoothed the welcome mat on the door step with her foot absentmindedly. The look on Heather's face was anything but reassuring. It just made her second-guess coming here even more.

Ashley, sensing the tension and knowing the whole story, spoke up first.

"Well, this night just keeps on getting better and better doesn't it?" she said ironically. Heather couldn't help, but sigh in agreement… Naya was still trying to decipher the look in Heather's eyes.

"I was just telling, Naya here how we should never order takeout from new places… We should always stick with that same short, Chinese guy who always gives us extra fortune cookies."

"Except… she explained it in more graphic terms," Naya clarified causing Ashley to chuckle.

"Hey, Naya, it's not sexual unless you make it sexual," Ashley retorted and the comment made Heather roll her eyes. _Typical…_

She glared at Ashley, indicating that she could take it from there. The roommate got the hint as she pursed her lips and fiddled with the messy bun on top of her head awkwardly.

"Right… well… I'm going to wait inside and let my stomach eat itself. So if someone _ever _comes with our Indian food, you don't give them a tip, oui?" Ashley said in her French accent.

"Si," Heather responded in Spanish.

"Glad we're on the same page. It was awesome to meet you, Naya," Ashley shook Naya's hand and offered her a smile.

"It was awesome to finally meet you too," she replied with that wonderful husk. The sound made Heather smile without her permission.

"Come around more often, yeah? That way we can _both_ show you some real 'sexual' jokes," Ashley told them with a sly wink. Heather blushed a deep red, while Naya just chuckled brightly.

"You just love making things awkward, don't you?" Heather joked.

"Who moi? Nah… I think that's someone _else's _job," Ashley hinted to Taylor, making Heather's smile falter ever so slightly. With that Ashley turned to leave, calling over her shoulder, "Cheerio mates!"

Heather shook her head at her comedic roommate. Life would certainly be dry without her…

"It was nice to finally meet your alter ego…" Naya told her softly. "I can see where you get all your 'crazy' from now."

Heather smiled fondly.

"Yeah… she makes things into jokes that I would never think to be funny. But, leave it to Ashley to find a way," she replied back just as softly. Heather looked over her shoulder for any sign of Taylor's presence. She leaned on the door, closing it slightly in attempt to block their conversation from leaving the front stoop. This didn't go unnoticed by Naya.

"Please… don't shut me out Heather," she asked of her nervously. Heather's eyes widened and she stopped moving the door. She hadn't meant it to come across that way…

"I don't mean to, Naya…"

Naya sucked in a breath. _Get over yourself…_ She thought, not wanting to make a fool of herself in front of Heather and the children she left in her Range Rover. She was sure they were listening intently from a partially slid down window.

"I wanted to come by to ask if you would like to come to a little Glee cast get-together tonight?" Naya offered. "I know its last minute, but every Tuesday we all try to meet up at Dianna and Lea's place to watch the new episode and celebrate after. We… _I _would love it if you would join us."

Then Naya shyly added, looking back at the ground again, "I've actually wanted to ask you this since last week, but I didn't get the chance."

Heather beamed brightly at Naya, heart pounding with excitement. When Naya looked back up, she was more than happy and relieved by the blonde's immediate response. Spending Tuesday night with the cast after the newest episode aired? Of course she wanted to go. Heather was delighted to be invited, regardless how late the invitation. She opened her mouth to reply with an enthusiastic, 'yes'… until she remembered the sticky situation she still had to clean up. Heather frowned deeply at the thought of Taylor…

"Naya… I would love to, but… right now isn't the best time," Heather tried to tell her in the least hurtful way possible. Her hands were completely tied up at the moment no matter how hard she pried at the knots to try to get out.

Naya's face immediately fell. She couldn't help but feel like the one to blame.

"I'm sorry. I know you're upset about earlier today—"

"—No, it isn't because of that—" Heather tried to intercede, but Naya stopped her.

"Just hear me out okay? I also came to apologize. I was acting so aloof and defensive when you asked about Mark… it wasn't fair of me to take it out on you."

"Naya…" Heather called out softly. Watching how it was so difficult for her to talk about this made Heather's heart ache. Sure she had been confused as to why Naya had responded that way, but declining her offer right now had absolutely _nothing _to deal with that.

"It was just so long ago… Maybe it was the fact that you brought it up right after you had your rehearsal with Lexi. I won't lie. I got overprotective because I was… jealous," Naya admitted outright. Heather rose her brows, surprised by the confession. She had felt her heart skip a beat when Naya had said so…

"W-Why?" Heather managed to squeak out.

"It's a stupid reason…" Naya replied, voice weak, "We had a falling out when I started to date Mark. For some reason, she didn't approve and our friendship faltered because of that. I was worried she was telling you things that weren't true… Still, that's no excuse on how I behaved. Who really knows what it was, but something inside me just screamed out to run away. I know I need to stop doing that… and I am trying. But even though what happened between Mark and I was so long ago and we've both moved on, the wounds still feel fresh and I just don't want—"

"Hemo?"

Naya's words were cut short. It was as if she was punched in the gut and all form of speech escaped her lips. Heather turned around to meet Taylor's burly chest as he stood behind her. Her heart dropped to the floor in complete dread. She spun back around to Naya whose face was unreadable. Heather could tell, even with all her experience, the actress didn't know how to play this part. The unexpected man in the door threw her off completely… Naya's eyes locked with Heather's frantic crystal blue ones. It was as if the fiery embers in those mocha orbs had been stoked causing the flames to burn fiercer.

Heather was pretty sure she could hear a faint _'Oh shit!_' from Naya's car. She squinted and she could make out two womanly figures in the front two seats.

"I… uh… was wondering what was keeping you," Taylor announced as he looked to Naya then to Heather. Their gaze remained unbroken until Naya's lips cracked out into a smile. Then she surprisingly extended her hand out to Taylor.

"Sorry… Heather's being uncharacteristically rude not to introduce me. I'm Naya Rivera, one of Heather's co-workers."

Taylor took her hand and shook it friendly as he introduced himself, that wide stupid smile on his face. All Heather could notice was how Naya didn't say co-worker and _friend_.

"I thought I was imagining things at first because I _just_ saw you on the T.V.," he chuckled. Heather rolled her eyes… _Isn't he so charming…_ Naya surprisingly laughed at his joke. Heather winced because of the unusual forced out sound. It was so unlike the infectious giggles she heard only moments ago. She then directed her attention back to Heather who remained mute.

"Yeah, well… I didn't realize you already had your _own_ little Glee viewing party going on. I should have gotten the hint when you said you were preoccupied," she bit back. Heather noticed how the tone in her voice wasn't harsh or sharp like it normally was when she was angry… it was sad, solemn. It was almost as if she was disappointed.

"I'll leave you to enjoy the rest of your evening," she said quietly as she dismissed herself and began descending down the stairs.

"It was nice meeting you…" Taylor said awkwardly. Heather clenched her jaw and shot an angry glare at him, which was a look he had never once received before. He took a step back in surprise as Heather closed the door on him and ran out after Naya.

"Naya, please… it's not like that. I didn't know—"

Naya turned back around to Heather weakly.

"That's right you didn't know… Here I was, coming to apologize to you and to tell you that my relationship with Mark was something of the past. In fact, I consider it one of the biggest mistakes of my life. Not because he was a bad guy and not because he was a bad boyfriend. In fact, he was an _amazing_ boyfriend and he treated me as if I was the only thing that mattered, well up until the end. Even then, it was my fault. I drove him away. And do you want to know why?" she told Heather, who stood there in shock.

"It was because I knew I was lying to myself. I was with him when I really wanted to be with someone else… someone that I thought I would never see again. You, Heather," Naya told her firmly. It was like the air was sucked out of her lungs as Heather stood there raw and unmoving. She didn't know what to say. It didn't matter, because Naya continued before she could formulate any comprehendible thoughts.

"I was settling for him because it was convenient… and I'm pretty sure he liked someone else too, but instead I was selfish. I was wasting his time when he could have been with that person he truly cared about," Naya breathed in deeply at the memory of steel blue eyes stealing away glances with forest green ones.

"In the end, I knew I was never going to be happy with Mark, Heather. Just like I know you'll never be happy with _him_," Naya acknowledged bravely as she gestured back at the door. Heather was taken aback by how Naya said it out in the open so simply, as if it was a fact. The two sulked in the silent tension for a few moments. Heather soaked in every word that Naya just admitted to her, the information being sorted in her mind.

"You told me that you had moved on…" Naya murmured to her.

"I have," Heather tried to reassure, but Naya wasn't finished yet.

"You say that, but there's obviously unfinished business there. I told you already once before… You're settling for him, Heather. Don't settle for him. You'll be making the same mistakes I made if you do," she had said it almost in a whisper. The words were almost carried away in the gentle, early spring breeze.

"Naya, I don't want this to be complicated. But Taylor and I… what we had _is_ complicated," Heather told her causing Naya to clench her jaw and fiddle with her hoodie drawstrings sadly.

"Don't think I don't understand it… I do. You don't think I remember how you used to talk about him when we first met?" Naya reminded Heather of those nights when the blonde barista confessed her feelings for her ex-baseball-playing-boyfriend. Naya smiled weakly at the old memories of the two of them eating left over pastries after closing time at their favorite corner table. It was odd how it wasn't all too long ago, yet those times felt so simple.

Heather's lips trembled as she opened her mouth to speak, but just as she did an old Ford minivan pulled up to the sidewalk behind Naya's Range Rover, screeching to a halt. A teenage boy no older than sixteen shuffled out of the van and took several brown paper bags of takeout food from the passenger seat side. He walked out towards the both of them, not knowing at all what had transpired in the past few minutes.

"Sorry for the wait… $35.60 please…" he mumbled, wiping his nose disgustingly on his sleeve. Heather grimaced.

"I should get going…" Naya said quietly.

"Naya, I…" Heather tried, but Naya put her hand up.

"I'll talk to you in the morning, okay?" her eyes had an odd mixture of understanding and sadness as she walked back to her car. Heather watched; words were unable to form sentences in her brain as she tried to think of something to say to call Naya back.

Naya opened the driver's side door and nodded her head for Dianna to move spots. The blonde cooperated without making a fuss. She whispered a quick 'sorry' to Naya and squeezed her hand as she made her way into the back seat. She exchanged a quick frustrated glance with Heather; the taller blonde's heart clenched painfully from the cold stare. When Naya's car vroomed away, Heather had never felt so incomplete before… like part of her was being taken away with Naya. She missed her instantly. She had already begun thinking of all the things she should have said and all the things she needed to say tomorrow morning.

"Miss? $35.60?" the annoying takeout boy repeated, bringing Heather out of her thoughts.

"I heard you the first time," Heather told him grumpily, "Just hold on for a minute."

He could wait a few minutes for making them wait for forty-five. She couldn't believe such a horrible service since she always worked in an environment where the customer came first. Heather jumped up the stairs two at a time and opened the door quickly to find that Taylor must have moved back to the living room. She clenched her jaw.

After Naya left, the feeling that overwhelmed her entire body made her certain. Everything that Naya had said about her and Taylor was true. Naya had told her these things from the start, but Heather denied it. Of course there would be a little part of her that would always remain with Taylor and it would always be hard seeing him; especially like this when he's asking for a second chance. But things change… he's changed… It wouldn't be like it was before. And retreating back to the past wasn't going to get her anywhere. It would do nothing for her love life and it would do nothing for her career. She would be kept on that never ending cycle of clinging and hoping on empty promises.

_He would be wasting my time. We would be wasting each other's time, _Heather thought as she put Naya's words into perspective of her own relationship with her ex.

Naya was the future and Heather was going to do everything possible to keep it that way.

She strode through the hallway, calling up the stairs for Ashley, "The delivery kid is here with the food. He's asking for his money."

Heather heard the pad of Ashley's footsteps coming down the stairs and a faint mumble of, _'Thank the lord… I was about to eat my fucking arm… shoulda stuck with Chinese.'_

When she entered the living room she was out of breath. It was like that hallway was a mile long and she was sprinting down it at full speed. Taylor was twirling his baseball cap around his finger when Heather came in. He almost dropped it when he saw her.

"So… that was interesting," he commented with that dorky, toothy grin. Heather sighed.

"Taylor, we need to talk."

His face turned serious at the tone of her voice. Heather sank down on the couch seat next to him, Taylor interlacing their fingers. Heather scrunched her lips sadly, but didn't protest. She began slowly in attempts to make it as painless as she possibly could for the both of them.

"Why do you want to get back together with me?" she asked bluntly. _So much for slowly…_

"I…" the question again took him by surprise, "You know, Heather. Because I love you. I always have…"

Heather sighed…

"But do you really mean that? I don't think you love me… I think you love us. And I do too. But loving us, doesn't mean we belong together, Taylor. What we had in the past was great, but things are different now. It wouldn't be the same as it was then and I think that's what you're looking for. I can't give that to you," she tried to explain.

"Heather, I don't care. You ground me and I need you. And despite what you may think… you need me too. I know I'm not really much of anything now, but I'm going to try my damn hardest to give you everything I have to offer. I realize that we're older and that we've changed but—"

"That's where you're wrong… _You've_ changed. I've still been the same. Sure, I've _grown_ as a person, but I've never _changed_ myself to be something I'm not. I've tried to stay true to myself the moment I moved here because I knew there would be people in this city that would try to change me. Point is Taylor is that we've… we've outgrown each other," she told him repeating words that Lexi had told her earlier. "And it hurts too much for me to dwell on the past… you don't know how much I wanted us to get back together. I was waiting on your calls, I was waiting for you to realize all this… I just got tired of all the waiting."

"You don't know how much I hated myself for hurting you…" Taylor told her apologetically.

"Yeah… well, it's a little late to take away all the pain now," Heather replied softly. "It's okay. I moved on. I've moved on to something exciting and new and… it's just too much to let go without knowing what it could be."

"Glee and everything?" Taylor clarified with a nod.

"Yes… among other things," she replied vaguely with a smile, really only thinking of Naya. "It doesn't mean I want to let our friendship slip away because I do miss you too, Tay. You're one of my best friends."

Taylor smiled fondly and let go of a chuckle.

"I take it I have to settle for that?"

"No, we're not settling… we're moving forward," Heather told him firmly with a slight smile on her lips.

"You're always my number one, Hemo. I can _always_ count on you to understand me," he told her sweetly. The tone of his voice made Heather smile wider. He sighed and pulled her into his arms and held her close. It was a promise he would never let go, that this time she could rely on him. She snuggled into his chest, happy to make at least one thing right that day. Closure… it was what she needed and she couldn't be more relieved that she didn't lose someone that was still so important to her. He dropped a soft kiss to the top of her head.

"I'm just glad that I was at least able to clear this up. I don't think I would have been able to live with myself if you were still mad at me," he chuckled. "It's weird hearing you all angry."

Heather laughed.

"You don't think I can pull off 'Angry Hemo'?" Heather jokingly asked, scrunching her eyebrows together in attempts to look cross. Taylor just laughed in her face.

"No, definitely not. All you're doing right now is pouting," he told her and Heather rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, well don't sleep around with random chicks so much. Then you won't have to suffer my lame attempt at being angry," she lectured him.

"Oh don't worry… you aren't the only one telling me that. Your Mom gave me an earful," the two laughed lightly at the comment. When they settled down Taylor looked down sincerely at his former girlfriend and now best friend.

"You know I'm so proud of you, Hemo," Heather smiled shyly. "You managed to get everything you wanted and you're still your dorky self."

He tucked his baseball cap on her head fondly and smiled at her. She smiled back.

"It wasn't easy," she told him honestly.

"Oh I believe you…" he commented from experience. "But you're lucky you've got supportive friends around here. You've got Ashley and Naya…"

Heather smiled quietly when Taylor said her name. She just wished the morning could come sooner so she could tell her everything that really happened tonight…

"By the way… she's not seeing anyone is she?" Taylor asked looking over at Heather hopefully. Heather raised an inquisitive brow. "She's pretty damn hot."

Heather glared at him before rolling her eyes. She took his cap off her head and smacked him in the chest with it. Taylor chuckled.

"I'm joking," he put his hands up defensively.

"The sad thing is that I know you're not," Heather countered and he had to wave his hand at her dismissively because she was right.

"I think she's a little too much for you to handle," Heather told him honestly as a wide, knowing smile spread across her lips. "And besides… she's already taken."

* * *

><p>Wow, this chapter was longer than I expected! Hope you enjoyed it! Here are a couple answered questions. Again, I'm always open with answering them :)<p>

**SantittanyForever: **Yes! Naya and Heather will be together in the end, that is no spoiler! I believe I mentioned it before in a previous chapter's author note :)

**Shine90: **What even is going on? Is Lexy being introduced so Naya can get jealous? Or did Lexy and Naya have a small thing in the past?  
>Hi there. First off, I would be terribly sad if I lost you as a reader because I remember you from the very beginning chapters. I do hope that I redeemed myself with this chapter. Anyways, Lexi actually <em>wasn't <em>introduced just to make Naya jealous. She's meant for a much greater purpose in the near future, however in this particular situation, yes she made Naya jealous. Lexi will come back, and I hope then maybe more people will empathize with the journey her character had to go through. And I said so in the A/N, but no. Lexi and Naya never had a romantic relationship in the past. They were just professional friends (aka friends at work but nothing more).

**Kempokarate12: **Thanks as always for your comment :) You're always too sweet with your reviews. Foreshadowing, hmm? Whatever do you mean? ;) But don't be nervous, only good things from now on will come out of Alexis. Also I had no idea Heather had a real life dancer friend named Alexis! I didn't base the character off of her at all… not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing! But it does make me wanna research into that… And don't worry. Alexis doesn't love Heather or Naya in that way, but I think you know that now that you've read this chapter though. Lexi is supposed to be a mysterious character, so she has lots to hide. So, now that you've read this chapter how are you feeling on the angst? Haha.

**Chrissie32: **I didn't have a problem uploading my chapter… I think the instructions say you can only have a certain amount in the Doc Manager uploader thing at a time. So try deleting some of your older chapters to upload the new ones. Hope that helps!

**Breakdown6**: I think I answered your question in the author's note and in the chapter! Let me know if not!

**LaurenKnight13: **So your comment was one of the ones I based my author's note on, so hopefully I answered the majority of your questions! Your comment also encouraged me to write Naya as more 'straight forward' in this chapter, because as you did, I also felt that Heather deserved some sort of explanation of her behavior. My version of Naya is very defensive when it comes to her feelings. She doesn't want to be left heartbroken, because that type of pain for her is something that is very difficult to overcome. She was also surprised and taken aback by the fact that some of the people she was closest to were spreading lies about her. As emphasized before, she doesn't like people who betray her trust. She's a complex character I built… I'm sure I'm completely off to how she is in real life, but then again I've created such a world for these two that I don't really think of them as real people anymore in this story. Haha. I do hope all this made sense. PM me if you have any more questions on it.

**homobo362: **I think I already answered the Taylor reappearance in this chapter ;) Hope it was how you expected it to be. I'm so thrilled you like Lexi! Yay, I'm glad at least one person does, haha. Her character is a blend of a lot of people… her physical appearance was first inspired by Bryce Dallas Howard. However, her personality was more so based on a contestant on So You Think You Can Dance (season 6). She had a little bit of a southern accent, it's faded now unfortunately, but I thought it was very likeable during the start of the season. I hope that helps with imagining this character! Oh… and don't worry… Jealous Naya is coming!


	16. Part 2: Chapter 15

A/N: Dear Fabulous Readers :)

Please feel free to skip to the text, this may be rather long. But I just wanted to get a kind word out to everyone.

Thank you all for sticking with me for so long. I apologize as always for the wait, but I do hope this 27 page chapter compensates.

I can't count how many supportive, lovely PMs and comments I've received. They've really brightened my days in not so great times… If I had the option I would choose to write for you all for the rest of my life because honestly what you have to say about my stories is worth so much more than money or jobs or all the extra stuff. But unfortunately we have to be realistic don't we? I've read every single note you've sent my way and have tried to get back to most of you. It means so much that you continue to give me your honest feedback.

The response to the last chapter was... crazy and exciting? I love how passionate all of you are for this story. It shows that I'm doing my job right. I know many are saying The Latte Girl isn't quite the same as it used to be. I do have an explanation for this. The first part of the story was focused on Heather struggling to figure out her future and building her friendship with Naya. The second part of this story is going to be based around their relationship as a COUPLE and how Heather is going to further her career in the entertainment business. So we'll definitely be seeing more scenes on set and with the Glee cast more so than at the Black Horse Café. However, I will emphasize that this story is called The Latte Girl and Heather will remain "the Latte Girl" till the end.

Finally, the tid bit during the last chapter with the reappearance of exes… I suppose I was compelled to capture the scene the way I had because it's something that's happening in my own life. The message that Naya is trying to say, and I as well, is that you should never settle for someone. Never. I hope everyone realizes that you deserve to be happy and to be with that person that makes you happy. That's all I have to say about that.

I feel like I've made a connection with every one of you who continue to read my stories and to me that's what's most rewarding of this entire process. I'm grateful to know people care and listen to what I have to say, so I just hope I have somehow managed to give back.

This chapter I really have no preface on it. I just hope you enjoy it. It's been a long way coming to this moment so I hope I've done it justice. Every event that's happened thus far has always been intended; I have yet to stray away from the original plan.

A special thanks to defygravity79. You're insight has been more helpful than you think ;) And of course sarake_leeg for always being my shoulder to lean on. I know I can always depend on you, hon. I made a couple responses to reviews at the end so check it out to see if I responded back to you!

Enjoy!

(**P.S. **Those waiting for **Liar/Saint: **It will eventually be updated in due time! I promise!)

Disclaimer: This fic is RPF! I do not own anything, this is a complete work of fiction. I DO NOT know either of these women nor am I affiliated with Glee or its creators. I also do not own the song "Taylor, The Latte Boy," by Kristin Chenoweth which this fic is loosely based on. These two are not a couple… unfortunately.

**The Latte Girl**

**Part 2: Chapter 15**

There was nothing more exuberating to Heather than waking up to crisp, clean spring air. The chill and calm cold from the night still lingered in the morning beams. The sun had barely risen over the Hollywood sign as the first glowing rays rippled over the glossy windows of cutout-like buildings. When Heather arrived at the Black Horse Café, she made sure she was there early… as in 5:20AM early. Heather had always been a morning person. It was the only time in the day that L.A. wasn't a cloud of glum smog. Her whole body was zinging with excitement and anticipation for what the day had to bring. She was smiling unbeknownst herself, only hoping it would be better than the day before. Given Taylor had to crash on her couch and her short, brunette roommate gave her an ear full with her mouth stuffed with curry last night, she was surprisingly chipper.

She was banking on the promise Naya left her last night…

"_I'll talk to you in the morning, okay?"_

It was the only thing left Heather had to cling on to, and she was clinging on desperately.

She was trying her hardest to calm her nerves, but her heart felt like a horse in a derby race about to gallop its way out of her chest. She contemplated which way would be the best to approach this apology. Should she do something clever? Maybe slip a note on a napkin or on her coffee cup again? She shook her head; it would be too indirect. She had to make it personal. She could ask Kaitlyn to cover her temporarily and take Naya to the back to explain to her privately? But Kaitlyn hated whenever she snuck Naya to the back of the shop…

_"No customers are allowed in the back!" _she always heard Kaitlyn's voice in the back of her head as a pleasant reminder.

Not that Kaitlyn followed the rules that often, it was just this rule in particular that she was a real stickler for. This rule was actually made because of the girl who Heather replaced. Kaitlyn unfortunately had to come in early for her night shift one afternoon to catch her co-worker doing it on the kitchen island counter with her boyfriend. The pixie haired girl had been scarred ever since… and rightfully so. Heather couldn't imagine being so desperately in need of someone to have sex at work let alone on a surface counter where food is prepared. She shuddered thinking about it. Then again, she had more often than not imagined tan limbs and raven hair sprawled over that counter top ever since she and Naya had their baking night that Saturday so long ago. Again, she shook her head to snap out of her distracting thoughts.

She sighed running out of scenarios. She should just walk straight up to her, grab those plump cheeks, and pull her lips to hers before Naya could even get the chance to say anything. That would certainly shut her up and it would save Heather the trouble of fiddling with words. She's wanted to do that for a while now, just go up to the actress and show her how she felt. But she wouldn't dare out a star in the making due to her uncontrollable and brash needs. That was just selfish. She still blushed at the thought. If only she were that bold.

The quiet, aloof smile on her lips faded when she realized that someone had beaten her to the door of the café. The newspaper, sandwich guy who always made her lunch from down the street was sitting on a bench next to their café under a still lit lamp overhead. He looked up from his paper startled when Heather pulled out her jingling keys. He stood up and gave a polite nod and a shy smile at Heather who returned the gesture kindly. She couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. She wanted to open up without any distractions to give herself a little alone time to think in her meddled brain for the perfect plan to win over Naya.

Heather looked back over her shoulder at the sandwich boy. He had rugged dark features with tan skin, scruffy unshaven cheeks, and dark curls of hair. Everything was sharp about his appearance expect for his warm honey eyes that always greeted her so politely when she ordered her typical turkey and swiss. The more she thought about it the more he looked like Ashley's type… he's the one that Ashley tried to push Heather to ask out on a date. But to Heather, he would always just be the sandwich guy. She couldn't quite see him as anything else but that. Come to think of it, she actually couldn't even recall his name as she unlocked the door to the café and let him in.

Granted, Heather would occasionally catch him eyeing her in a more than polite way, but she always assumed it was a guy thing. She always found some of the male customers do a double take on her. It was nothing unusual. She was sure plenty of other female servers in West Hollywood who were basically all just prospective actresses received the same treatment. He had always been so nice to her, giving her discounts on her lunch when it was her birthday or around the holidays. It's been a little more than a year now, so if the guy truly was interested he would have made a move by now. Besides, she was interested in much better things currently…

The sandwich guy sat quietly at his normal side window table as Heather began going through her normal opening routine. Once she was finished opening up shop, she stood behind the cash register with her pen in hand as she looked over to the sandwich guy expectantly. He peaked up over his newspaper with those calm honey-suckle eyes before quickly averting them back down. Heather furrowed her eyebrows and huffed. She didn't understand L.A. people sometimes… She tossed her pen back on the counter and went to the back to rearrange some of their supplies before the morning rush came in.

"Why look who's here early?" a voice grumbled sleepily from the back entryway.

Heather swung her head around the shelves of coffee bean sacks and smiled brightly.

"I should say the same to you."

Kaitlyn only groaned in response.

"You never have morning shifts this early and if you do, you never come even a minute early before opening hours," Heather commented knowingly as she organized their new shipment of a new Italian blend. Kaitlyn plopped up on the island kitchen counter with one of their day old scones already in hand.

"Yeah well… Reese has been asking me to come in earlier. Yesterday morning was a mad house. You're lucky you missed it," she said taking a mouthful of the pastry.

"Oh, really?"

"Yup, I don't know how much longer the boss is going to take to realize we need more hands behind the bar. And it's not fair we have to call both the Mrs. and Cody in…" she mentioned. Heather suddenly felt guilty for making the family have to cover for her when she should be doing her job.

"At least business is good… better than it being dead here all the time," Heather piped up, trying to lighten the mood.

"True. But you know me… I fucking hate crowds," Kaitlyn whined and Heather laughed. She certainly missed simple mornings like these.

Both of the barista's ears perked when they heard the familiar ring of the service bell on the counter. Kaitlyn furrowed her brow.

"How do we have a customer here already? It's effing 6:30 in the morning right now…"

"It's the sandwich guy from Gus's Grocery Shop," Heather told her.

"Oh… the sandwich guy, eh?" Kaitlyn repeated raising her brow. Heather leered at her as she brushed her hands off on her apron.

"What's that tone supposed to mean?"

"Oh well, I don't know. Maybe he's finally got the balls to ask you out after all these months…" she mentioned casually.

Heather rolled her eyes in disbelief.

"Please… you think every guy under the age of 30 who walks through our door wants to ask me out."

"And how many times have I been right?"

Heather shook her head refusing to answer Kaitlyn who did a victory fist pump. As she left the back kitchen area, she muttered under her breath, "Only the times when I wasn't interested…"

She walked up brightly behind the register, trying to ignore the way the newspaper, sandwich boy was twisting his paper in his hands anxiously. It made Heather sigh… she really hoped Kaitlyn was wrong. If she was right, then she hoped sandwich guy would just chicken out. She didn't need this to ruin her morning, ridden with guilt. And Heather hated rejecting people… She just couldn't stand the way they sounded and looked so disheartened and disappointed.

When he didn't do anything for a good awkward thirty seconds, Heather spoke up.

"Can I get you your regular? Double dark roast with extra room?" she asked as she prepared to ring him up for the order.

"Sure…" he smiled shyly. "Thanks for remembering."

"Of course. You do the same for me," she laughed lightly. "$1.75 please."

He began fishing for bills in his wallet.

"You guys have the best coffee… and it's so much cheaper than that Starbucks crap."

"Well, hey. It's a business after all and whatever they do it seems to pay off well. But I'll let the boss know you said so. That would definitely make his day," she casually made conversation as she handed back his change.

"Sure," he replied again simply. It's like all he could do was agree with her… She handed back his change and told him she would bring his order out for him in a moment. Heather was about to turn away when he spoke up again.

"Hey, Heather I…" he began with a sweet smile on his lips. She never recalled giving him her name, which bothered her because she didn't know his, "I was wondering…"

_Oh no…_

"What you were doing this Friday?"

_Damn it._

"Maybe we can grab a cup of coffee at a non-Starbucks place?" he chuckled lightheartedly as he leaned slightly against the counter. Heather could tell he was trying to play off confident, but she could see right through the façade to the nervous glint in his eyes. At least it let her know he was being sincere and he wasn't just pulling this out of his ass…

She chewed on her lower lip, trying to figure out what to say and nicely.

"You mean like… a coffee date?"

"Sure," he agreed again. "A coffee date."

She sighed. _He couldn't have been a little more creative?_

She pursed her lips out and he took the look on her face as a bad sign. He began to recline back and resumed twisting his rolled up newspaper. Heather felt horrible as she watched the sandwich guy's face fall. She searched her mind for the easiest way out of this awkward situation without making the guy feel any worse. She didn't want to lose one of their regulars just because she wouldn't go out on a date with him. If there was one thing she hated as a barista it was not being able to please her customers.

"Listen, John… it's John right?" Heather asked hesitantly.

"Jake," he clarified and Heather mentally slapped herself.

"Right," she cleared her throat awkwardly, "Jake. I'm actually kind of…"

Heather paused trying to restrain a secret smile.

"I'm sort of seeing someone right now. I'm so sorry."

"I get it. Don't worry. Old Gus has been trying to get me to ask out 'the pretty coffee girl' ever since you started working here… It's my own fault for being too slow to make a move," he joked trying to lighten the mood. Heather smiled fondly. She wished he had been more laidback like this in the past and she may have actually considered it…

"I'm sorry," she repeated again quietly.

He nodded and smiled as he walked back over to his usual spot.

"Sure, no worries."

Heather sighed deeply, resting back on the counter behind her momentarily. Well, there was one thing to put her day off…

* * *

><p>Heather continued to bustle about the shop. She whisked around the Black Horse Café in a bluster; her determination and revelation was exuding brightly in her work. Even Kaitlyn noticed something different. The short brunette didn't question though… Heather was always going through mood swings recently with her newfound relationship with Naya. She wished the two would get over themselves already and admit their obvious feelings for each other. Along with Kaitlyn and Heather, Cody was there to assist with the early morning rush. They were lucky that the teen was willing to sacrifice a couple hours of sleep before he had to go to school because Heather was sure the two of them wouldn't be able to manage the bar alone anymore.<p>

Heather was currently working the register while Cody was doing his round of refills to each table and Kaitlyn was working the espresso machine and making teas. The sandwich guy, finally identified as Jake still remained planted at his seat. He would give occasional glances at Heather like they had some sort of new relationship that she didn't quite understand. He was on his third refill now. She was pretty sure that was an inhumane amount of coffee, especially with the double dark roast he always got.

"I don't get why he won't leave…" Heather whispered to Kaitlyn who only snorted.

"I told you. I always knew he had a little thing for you. You've got him wrapped around your little finger now. It's kinda cute though," she commented only to get under Heather's skin. The look on Heather's face made her laugh loudly. Mission accomplished.

"I don't think it's very funny…" Heather mumbled.

"_I _think it's pretty funny," Kaitlyn snorted back quickly.

"Do you want me to ask him to leave?" Cody asked protectively as he switched coffee pots.

Kaitlyn whacked him with her towel and he coward away.

"Butt out of other people's business," she lectured.

Heather shook her head and smiled to him kindly.

"Thanks, Cody, but that's really okay. He'll leave… eventually," she had muttered the last part under her breath as the next customer came up to the register.

"I don't understand why this is such a surprise to you. Why do you think half of the male population in Hollywood finds their way in our café?" Kaitlyn exaggeratingly joked and Heather knitted her brow at the information.

She switched stations with Cody and made her round around the tables for refills as she mulled over the other girl's words. Heather had no idea she was sending these types of signals… she thought she was just being friendly. She wasn't one to think that a simple barista behind a cash register exuded any sort of sex appeal at all. Then again, she's been wrong before when it came to other's perceptions of her profession…

_"I definitely wouldn't compare a coffee barista to a greasy McDonald's server…"_

Heather chewed on her lower lip that was stretching out in a smile as Naya's lovely voice echoed in her mind. She shook her head trying to focus and trying to smack her doofy smile off her lips. She felt like she was doing that a lot lately… replaying Naya's voice on record.

Being busy all morning she had lost track of time. She just managed to glance up at the clock that read 8:11AM when the door jingled and that familiar face came through the entryway. Heather let go of a sigh of relief and a bright smile overtook her lips as she saw Naya hesitantly enter the café. The small brunette didn't know what to expect coming in for coffee this morning, but she promised herself she would allow her Latte Girl an explanation. She realized that she deserved that after a long night mulling over her thoughts.

The instant Heather saw Naya the urge to run over to her overwhelmed all her muscles as if it were a natural instinct. But she tried to restrain herself as she calmly began to approach the actress with her pot of coffee still in hand.

"Hey missy! What about my refill?"

Heather sighed. It was that damn turtle man again… She had forgotten she was in mid-pour when Naya came in. His beady little eyes leered at her and she tried her hardest to hide her scowl. It always seemed like Heather's retention span was much smaller when the actress was around.

She looked down into the pot that was still quite full.

"Um… The pot is empty. I'll top off your cup in a few minutes after a new batch is made," she lied. Half a pot of coffee still sloshed around in the container as she made her way over to Naya nervously. She shook out her hand in attempt to shake away how terrified she was taking the initiative and finally admitting her feelings for the girl with twinkling brown eyes.

She was about half way over to Naya who was at the end of the line squeezing her fingers anxiously when Heather stopped abruptly. The door jingled again and Mark slowly strode up behind Naya. Heather's smile quickly slipped from her lips and creased into a deep frown. She felt crestfallen when she watched Mark place Naya's wallet in her hand. Naya watched Heather's pretty face scrunch up in confusion, then fall in sadness, before finally turning stone cold out of anger. Heather concluded quickly that she must have left it in his car or something, which meant that they drove here together, which meant that Naya must have stayed over at his place or vice versa. Watching them together made Heather's insides boil as she stood there dumbfounded in the middle of the café. Naya glanced back at Mark behind her, eyes widening before she looked back over to Heather still standing there not quite knowing what to do with herself. The blonde barista averted her gaze from fiery brown ones, trying to gain composure and the little integrity she had left. She spun on her heel, doing her best to ignore the painful burning sensation at the pit of her stomach that was quickly rising to her cheeks. Jealousy…

When she turned she had missed Naya smack Mark in the shoulder with her wallet, berating him in a low hiss. Heather quickly hid herself behind the bar, ignoring the blatant stares from customers and turtle man's request for more cream for his half-filled coffee cup. Kaitlyn looked up to her fellow co-worker with worry as she had watched the scene unfold. Heather shoved the still half full pot of coffee under the maker. She snagged a paper cup with a written order from Cody's hands and busied herself with the espresso machine, mumbling a quick "I got it." She faced away from everyone so they couldn't read her frustrated expression. She was trying her best not to get emotional at work, but Naya was doing a pretty good job and swaying her feelings. Kaitlyn saw out of the corner of her eye a frantic Naya Rivera cutting the line and rushing towards the counter; Mark was left confused in the dust.

"Want me to cover you?" she asked Heather under her breath.

Heather only gave a weak nod, still trying to compose herself out of embarrassment.

"Always got your back, hon," she told her, brushing blonde hair off her shoulders motherly before quickly returning back to the register. She blocked Heather from having to interact with any customers and from Naya.

Heather tried to ignore Naya's presence who was so obviously trying to get her attention. So many thoughts overwhelmed her that she couldn't pinpoint exactly everything she was feeling. Heartbroken? Betrayed? Jealous? Karma was really being a bitch right now. She felt like Naya was doing this as some sort of payback for last night. She didn't understand. Why Mark? Why out of all people did she have to show up with him when she knew that Heather was weary of their relationship together? She felt like her heart was a puppet and Naya kept plucking at the strings.

Naya chewed on her lip as she looked to Heather over the counter. This was all such a big misunderstanding. She tried to search out those sparkling blue eyes, but the blonde was turned away from her.

"Hea—" she tried to call out to her, but Kaitlyn stepped out in front of Heather.

"Morning. Is there something I can help you with?"

Naya looked to her wearily.

"I need to speak with Heather, please," she asked quietly, trying not to bring any more attention to herself. It was already pretty hard when people recognized "the Mohawk kid" and "bitchy cheerleader" from Glee together in public.

"Sorry, but she's busy working hot drinks today, so you're just going to have to settle with me. And by the way, the line starts back there," Kaitlyn notioned in a fake sweet voice. Heather chewed on her lower lip as she overheard the conversation. She was thankful for Kaitlyn, but she was a tad harsh.

"Kaitlyn, come on… You know me," Naya tried. "I'm not cutting anyone."

"Sorry, hon. I don't make any exceptions for anyone," Kaitlyn bit back.

Naya heard that teenage dream boy snort while writing down a customer's order making her tighten her jaw.

"Heather, I need to talk to you," Naya announced no longer caring who heard and blatantly ignoring Kaitlyn's demand. She swept father along the counter while Heather moved about stations.

Heather cast a glance over her shoulder at the pleading actress.

"Let's not do this right now, Naya."

Naya faltered slightly at the sad tone of Heather's voice, but she was determined.

"Mark, he… it's not way you think Heather," she tried.

Heather finally turned around, still working while she replied back. She was trying to act like she didn't care, but she knew Naya could read right through it.

"Please stop there Naya, please?" Heather's voice was quiet, but it still ripped at Naya's heart again. She felt guilty, but she didn't know for what. "I'm tired of getting my hopes up and just being disappointed… Every time I think I'm right, I'm always wrong."

Heather's spirit was killed and Naya clenched her jaw in frustration.

"Heather… I've made it pretty clear to you what I've wanted from the start."

Heather laughed.

"Right… and having Mark show up with you at _our_ coffee place on your way to work is supposed to tell me what Naya? You have to realize how this looks to me. It looks like you're just doing this in spite of last night."

Naya scoffed in disbelief. She cornered her eyes, not at all liking the feeling of being attacked. She retreated back behind her wall.

"Do not get me started on last night."

"You have to know that Taylor showed up unexpectedly. I told you… Him and I are done. I had no idea he was even in California until I came home and he was sitting on my couch. _You_ obviously went out looking for your ex," she told Naya bitterly. Naya's eyes widened with shock at the accusation. Even Heather was pretty surprised with her own words. Nevertheless, she wasn't going to back down. She was tired of this cat and mouse chase that Naya was making her go through. This game wasn't fun anymore.

Kaitlyn nudged her back, "Um… maybe you two should take this conversation elsewhere?"

Heather just ignored her.

"You know it's not like that," Naya whispered, hurt.

"Or not…" Kaitlyn mumbled under her breath and walked over to Cody who was watching blankly as the two bantered.

"No games, Naya," Heather told her firmly as she looked back up at her after she lidded a cup and placed it up on the bar.

Naya remained silent. Head stirring at how this conversation was led here.

"I told you that I don't like being tricked… and I so easily get tricked," Heather admitted in a quiet whisper. She looked around at the eyes staring at the two of them. They had definitely attracted quite a crowd. She blushed lightly in embarrassment.

"I'm not," Naya tried to convince, leaning over the bar to speak to Heather closely. "I'm not trying to trick you."

"But that's what it feels like. You tell me you want to start over. Friends. I was fine with that. Then, next thing I know I'm supposed to realize that you want me to ask you out. Sure that was surprising, but you know I would do anything to make you happy," Heather told her quietly. "And last night…"

Naya's eyes scanned Heather's face as she reminisced on last night again.

"I didn't know Taylor was there and I didn't _want_ Taylor there. I would have gone with you last night to your Glee viewing party had he not randomly shown up," Naya's face softened at the confession. "Today I was going to apologize for that when…"

She glanced back at Mark who just finished ordering from Cody, that boiling feeling still remaining in her tummy.

"When you bring Mark around and it so obviously looks like you spent the night at his place—"

Naya suddenly interrupted, offended.

"So you think I just sleep around with my exes when I don't get my way?"

Heather groaned out of frustration and she was pretty sure her groans were somehow echoed as she heard a chorus of sighs from Cody and Kaitlyn who were still eavesdropping off to the side.

"Will you stop twisting my words around?" Heather nearly exploded. "It's not fair, Naya. It's not fair that you can spend time with Mark and get away with it, but when Taylor shows up I'm the one that has to apologize."

"Since when do you control who I can and cannot see? You don't. That's not your responsibility," she told her harshly. She wasn't a child… she could damn well spend time with whoever she chooses. She wasn't used to having these sorts of consequences.

Heather's face crinkled in pain. It made Naya begin to regret the words she spat out due to her defensiveness.

"Fine. I don't care who you spend time with. We can both see whoever we want," Heather concluded firmly, but her voice wavered sadly.

"Fine," Naya agreed stubbornly.

"Fine."

Heather lidded Mark's large coffee and placed it on the bar.

"Coffee for Mark," she said sharply before turning away from Naya and muttering to her two co-workers that she was going on her break. Neither protested.

Naya eyed Heather as she marched over to a quiet man sitting alone by himself reading a newspaper. Naya thought he would look a little younger if she shaved off that five o'clock shadow. She hadn't realized that her legs followed Heather as she overheard their conversation.

"Hey, Jack," Heather spoke up catching the sandwich guy's attention. He jumped slightly, but smiled awkwardly at the unusual audience around him.

"It's Jake," he corrected again.

Heather mentally slapped herself again before she quickly replied, "Right... It turns out my Friday schedule just freed up. What do you say to that coffee date?"

He looked surprised and dumbfounded. His honey eyes bounced from Heather to Naya's death piercing gaze. He gulped nervously as he looked back up at Heather.

"Sure?" he confirmed, more unsure than sure…

"Great, I get off at 5:00 in the evening on Friday."

"Cool, I'll meet you then?"

"Sounds awesome," Heather replied with a fake smile. When she turned around the smile immediately fell from her face as she went to find shelter in the back. She chanced a quick look at Naya who stood there with her mouth slightly agape in complete disbelief. Heather felt like it should have given her some sort of feeling of satisfaction, but it just made her feel worse. She just felt like a bitch…

Once Heather had disappeared to the back of the shop, Naya rounded on the innocent newspaper, sandwich boy.

"Coffee? Really? You do realize she works at a café right?" Naya told him incredulously. He fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat. This guy had no game at all…

"Uh…" he mumbled embarrassed.

Luckily Mark was there before she attacked an innocent middleman.

"You'll have to excuse her. She gets a little grumpy when she doesn't get her caffeine in the morning," he told the sandwich guy as he pulled a fuming Naya away.

"Do you know how crazy you look right now?" he whispered in her ear.

"Yah, well I told you to wait in the car!" she growled at him lowly for only him to hear. She whacked him again with her purse and he put his arm up to protect his coffee.

"I wanted coffee and I knew you would forget to get me anything. Just like how you forgot your wallet in the car in your mad rush to see to Heather. Whenever Blonde Beyoncé is in the room your brain goes all fuzzy and you lose all sense of self-control. Obviously… if I wasn't here you would have used that guy's newspaper to paper cut him to pieces," Mark told her knowingly while he sipped his coffee.

She rolled her eyes.

"That whole conversation wouldn't have happened if you had just done what I said," she mumbled.

"Well, it did happen. So stop being fussy and go and fix it like a big girl," he told her.

"She thinks we still have a thing," she told him disheartened.

"Tell her we don't. It's the truth," Mark shrugged.

"She's not making it easy…"

"That's good. You need a challenge. If you don't have one you get bored easily." Naya rolled her eyes at his comment.

"Will you quit being a pain in the ass?" she retorted.

"Will you?" he bit back, "Seriously. Stop lingering around with me like you have all day. I bet you a million fucking dollars she's waiting for you to chase after her. It's about time you do. She's been chasing after you all this time… You can't expect her to do all the work."

Naya sighed. She hated how Mark was right. He always told it how it was… in his very blunt and very "Mark" way.

"I'm on it… Now go wait in the car and don't make any more trouble," she said as she made her way towards the direction Heather left.

"You make me sound like I'm five…" he mumbled taking another sip of his coffee, but he turned to leave obediently.

"Maybe because you are," Naya sung over her shoulder.

Naya could still hear Mark's laughter from the other side of the café as she approached the back where she saw Heather disappear to. She was just about to stride on through when Kaitlyn abruptly stepped in front of her, sending Naya a few steps back in surprise. This girl would seriously not get out of her face today… It was really starting to get on her nerves and she was already pissed off.

"I think I know where you're trying to go and the answer is _no_," Kaitlyn told her stubbornly.

Naya did her best to contain her emotions.

"Listen, Kaitlyn. I know you're looking out for Heather and I understand how this all might sound. But it's a mistake, you have to believe me. I'm not here to do any harm," Naya explained honestly.

"I get that, Naya. And I don't like sticking my nose in Heather's personal business. She's my friend and I respect her choices. But unfortunately you pull me into the situation when you cause a commotion at _my_ café making one of my_ coworkers_ uncomfortable."

Naya chewed on her lip. Her reasoning was justifiable and she knew this all looked bad from the outside. She chanced a glance around her at the fairly full café. Most of the customers by now had gone back to their morning coffee or paper, while a few creepers continued to eye Naya. It made her skin crawl in annoyance.

"I don't mean to make her… anyone uncomfortable," she replied quickly and she cleared her throat when she had meant to only say _anyone. _"But I'd really appreciate it if you let me talk to her."

Kaitlyn sighed.

"You really aren't going to back down are you?"

Naya shook her head, looking up to the barista with big, sad brown eyes. She hoped the look was working. Kaitlyn flinched slightly, but it didn't seem to have the same effect as it did with people on set…

"Don't think your little acting skills are working on me missy," Kaitlyn pointed at her offended that she even tried and Naya slouched with a huff. "It may work on Heather, but I'm not falling for it. Customers are seriously not allowed in the back. You know that after all the times I've already yelled at you and Heather before for going back there doing… whatever the hell you do that I really _don't _want to know about."

Naya rolled her eyes. They've only been caught twice. And it was all innocent…

"Hey you!" Naya turned around to a small, bald man with a bright green turtleneck ensemble. He had one of the Black Horse Café's signature ceramic cups in his hand and he waved it around aimlessly, calling out for Kaitlyn.

_"God damn turtle man…"_ Naya thought she heard Kaitlyn mutter under her breath before she put a very fake cheerful smile on her lips. The pixie-haired brunette's eyes looked like they were about to attack on the other hand. Naya used this to her advantage.

"Oh, I'm sorry sir. Looks like you're out of coffee aren't you?" Naya asked him politely.

The crease on the old man's brow softened and his frown turned into a thin line as he looked up at smiling actress. He looked a little more approachable.

"Yes, I am! These darn girls always get distracted… small attention spans," he muttered.

"Well, I'm sure they don't mean to. It's partly my fault since I'm causing such a 'commotion' for them," Naya referred back to Kaitlyn who was fuming in silence. "Here, why don't you have a second round on me, yeah?"

Naya shoved a five dollar bill in Kaitlyn's hands. She furrowed her brow in suspicion at her. Naya began leading Kaitlyn back behind the counter.

"Refills are free…" Kaitlyn muttered to herself.

Naya heard her and turned back to the turtle man to distract him, "Kaitlyn will bring it out right for you."

The turtle man gave what seemed sort of like a smile as he waved his empty cup again and began moving back towards his seat.

"And I'll be waiting, like I've been waiting all morning," he replied grumpily.

Taking that as her cue, Naya quickly swept behind Kaitlyn and shot for the back kitchen where Heather was. Kaitlyn whipped around hands on her hips about to go after her.

"Seriously, Naya?" she exclaimed, five dollar bill still in her hand.

"Sorry, Kaitlyn! Turtle man won't want to wait all day!" Naya called over her shoulder.

Kaitlyn shook her head.

"Celebrities…"

* * *

><p>Heather was pacing. Her strides we long and her footsteps clapped lightly against the wood. It wasn't a frantic pace. She was more so walking in a slow waltz, spinning on the heel of her foot elegantly every time she changed directions in the small storage room. The walk-in pantry extended just right of their kitchen unit. She had taken salvage in the confined space.<p>

Heather had reorganized the tea bag section of their inventory. Twice.

She was doing her best at trying to take her mind off things, but if anything the storage room was just bottling in her thoughts. Pictures of Naya and Mark kept intruding in her head and it made that damn boiling feeling in her stomach turn into hot steam. She didn't like it.

One second, she thought she knew her. Sometimes she felt like she could even see through that thick barrier Naya always put up. Then the next moment it was like she was meeting a stranger. She hated guessing all the time as if she were being tested. She was sure that Naya was certainly the hardest test she's ever taken. Sure, Heather loved all their teasing and flirting. She loved how unpredictable Naya could be, like her morning espresso latte. But more often than not, these types of things always led to misconceptions and misunderstandings.

She wanted her.

It was simple for Heather. She wanted her and that was what she was going to tell Naya today. But did Naya want her back? Heather had thought she did, confident actually. She's _still_ pretty sure, even after all of this, that Naya wanted them to happen. But Heather just couldn't ignore the unsettling bubbling, steaming feeling in her stomach. It was making her so nauseous that she would have to stop her pacing occasionally to breathe and stop her head from spinning. She didn't understand why the actress had to make things so dramatic.

When she felt absolutely sick to her stomach after what happened today with Mark, Heather knew she wouldn't be able to stand losing Naya in such a way. She could see it so clearly… It would be easy for Naya. Heather thought she was one of the most beautiful women she's ever seen. Even Maxim Hot 100 said so. Naya could certainly find much better than Heather… Heather, who always felt so plain next to Naya. She had been confident with her looks and her body. She never took criticisms on her appearance seriously, like the pointed nose casting director who voted against her for the spot on Glee. But Naya made her feel so vulnerable.

She wasn't sure if that was a good thing of a bad thing.

Heather sighed heavily, resting her temple against the cool mahogany wood of the stock shelves. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. The warm and intoxicating scent of roasted coffee beans and sweet tea wafted over her. It all smelt so earthy. She gave a small smile. Her mind began to drift off slightly in her own little world. She thought of quietly sitting at her favorite corner table, sipping a freshly brewed cup of her favorite coffee blend, Frank Sumatra. And it wasn't her favorite simply because of the name; though it did make her smile every time. But when it was hot and fresh, the roast had such a harmonious blend of deep, rich tones and brisk personality. It was almost like the coffee had a story to tell, each flavor unfolding like a new chapter of a book. It always made her tap her feet happily. The café bustled around with the normal regulars except she wasn't serving any of those cranky morning workers or random, surprise Glee celebrities. She was just leisurely enjoying her cup of Frank Sumatra as a customer. It had been so long since she's been served… she was always the one working, always giving. It would be nice to have someone tend to her needs.

At the thought, tan slender fingers reached out and affectionately tucked her blonde bangs behind her ear; warm fingertips not so discreetly brushed against the sensitive skin of her cheek. She smiled wider in her fantasy world, but in reality her lips tugged to the side in a contemplative purse.

If only that could really happen.

Heather reopened her eyes lazily, not really wanting to wake up from her daydream. Her crystal blue eyes landed on warm mocha brown and she shifted abruptly upright in surprise. Naya stood about two feet away. A trace of a smile was left on her own lips as she had watched Heather who was now shifting awkwardly under her gaze. The images still lingering fresh in her mind made her just want to apologize for everything. But she didn't. Instead she pretended to look like she was preoccupied as she began to rearrange their tea bags… again.

"You shouldn't be back here… Kaitlyn will be pissed," she mumbled. She was trying her hardest to keep her eyes on the bags of Earl Grey in her hands but it was hard when Naya was looking at her the way she was.

"She'll be fine. She's busy right now anyways," Naya said dismissively. "What were you thinking just now?"

"It doesn't matter… It was a stupid thought anyways," still blushing at the images that still lingered in her mind.

"You know I'm the last person who would think that… Nothing you do is stupid."

Heather remained silent and Naya sighed.

"I'm not used to this, okay?" Naya began apologizing. "I'm not used to having consequences for my actions like this. I like doing whatever I want and having no one care…"

"Well, I do care," Heather squeaked out automatically and Naya looked to her surprised. She swallowed quickly and tried to cover the slip, "But I'll do my best to stop. You can do whatever you want with your life Naya."

That was a lie. She would never stop caring.

Heather swallowed thickly at the weight of her words and again recoiled back to shuffling Chai tea bags. Naya knew it was a lie too as she took a half step back after hearing Heather's words, hurt. She furrowed her brow angrily.

"You told me you weren't going to lie anymore," Naya said sharply.

"And _you_ told me to not get involved with who you spend your time with. I'm just trying to follow the rules Naya!" Heather exclaimed as she tossed her tea bags in an unorganized heap onto the shelf in frustration.

"Well it looks like you're taking full advantage to the new rules then. Out of all the guys that check you out when they order their coffee, you choose _that_ guy?" Naya gestured out towards the café. "He's more awkward than teenage dream kid. Not to mention he looks like he's forty."

"I don't judge people until I get to know them. He's a nice guy and I'm interested. I thought we established that we can both see anyone we want?"

"I didn't really mean that!" she yelled out exasperatedly.

Heather threw her hands up.

"Will you make up your mind? You keep twisting things around and it's so freaking frustrating! One minute I'm set on apologizing to you for last night and how Taylor came over and tried to start things up again. I told him that we've grown apart and that I want to be with someone else. That someone else being _you_. Then the next minute you come prancing in here with Mark on your heels like you want to shove it in my face that you don't care," Heather wanted to go on but Naya interrupted.

"I was not prancing around!" Naya yelled out and Heather rolled her eyes. "What do I have to do to prove that I don't want to be with Mark?"

"Just tell me the truth, Naya. Tell me the truth about why he was with you."

"Fine. You were right. I did go looking for him last night," Naya replied defensively crossing her arms over her chest.

That one stung. Heather even physically winced.

"I was hurt; I needed someone who wasn't involved in the situation to console in. I'm not gonna fake it and say that seeing you and Taylor together didn't bother me. It made me realize that there _was_ a history between you two and I knew how easy it is to fall back into what's familiar. I was scared that I suddenly lost you," Naya told her sincerely.

"The truth is I went looking for him because after I talked with you I realized that I had to make something right. Since my apology to you obviously didn't go as planned, I wanted to salvage one relationship. I told Mark what I had told you. How I was sorry for how I had hurt him and for how I had wasted his time when he could have been with someone that he truly cared about. How that it's never too late to try and be with that person… The one you always think 'what could have been'," Naya reminisced also thinking over their relationship together.

"There. Does that clear up what you thought?" Naya asked wearily.

Heather took in Naya's words, looking to her for sincerity. All she saw was honesty. She knew she couldn't doubt her. Heather clenched her jaw as she gazed in to dark brown mocha orbs.

"Okay. So what does all this mean then?"

"I just explained—" Naya began with a furrowed brow.

"No, I mean about us. What does this mean about us?" Heather asked timidly.

Naya's shoulders relaxed when she heard the question. Her face softened as she looked to Heather who was fidgeting nervously.

"Heather… You mean more to me than you'll ever know."

Heather's eyes widened at Naya's words as her heart began to pound twice as hard in her chest.

"As friends? Or more than friends? Because every time I try to guess at these things I'm always ninety percent—"

"More than friends, Heather…" Naya quickly interceded her ramble with her soft voice. She took a step forward, taking Heather's soft palm into hers. She closed her eyes at the feel of warm tan fingers brushing against her flesh, instantly whisking her back to her private dreams she had minutes before.

"Don't you remember? I've told you that before…" Naya whispered and Heather swore she could feel her breath against her cheeks.

"_I really, really like you... Beyond customer service care."_

Heather's eyes reopened to Naya's gentle curving smile gracing her lips. Those lips… and that night… How could Heather ever forget? She nodded her head.

"That still stands, Heather. Just because we say we're starting over doesn't mean we can just erase away all those feelings."

"I thought one of the reasons why we wanted to start things over was to take it slow."

"I know and I tried. But I just can't. Everyone has been telling me how ridiculous it is to feel this way when we've gotten to know each other so quickly … Mark, Dianna, Lea… but I think that's what makes us special. The fact that things are going so fast and that I'm falling… falling so fast for you," Naya's voice was wavering and she tried her best to control it. She took in a shaky breath and continued, "It's scary, but I've never felt so sure about something in a really long time. And I don't want to ruin it, so much so that I have been. This never was a game to me and I'm sorry if I made you feel like it was. It's just that… whenever I'm around you, I have this problem…"

Heather furrowed her brow, scared of what Naya was about to say next.

"What do you mean? Is there something wrong with me?"

Naya smiled wider and shook her head.

"Quite the opposite… If anything there's something wrong with me. Whenever I'm near you, I do crazy things. My feelings get the better of me and I let them run away with the moment. I'm pretty sure it's affecting Santana too…" Naya remarked on her character. "And it catches me off guard because I've always been an expert in controlling my emotions, on-screen and off. But around you it seems like I can't."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

Naya pondered over the question for a moment.

"I think it's a good thing when it comes to you and being more honest. You make me feel incredible… But I also think it's a bad thing for other people because last night I was very tempted to kick your Louisiana ex in the shin."

Heather gave a small chuckle as she pictured small, little Naya kicking tall, gangly Taylor in the shin and running away.

"Him and I are over, Naya. I promise."

"And I know that now…" Naya reassured. "I just got jealous."

Heather bashfully nodded her head to the floor, "Well… I got pretty jealous this morning too."

Naya sighed.

"I'm sorry I made you feel that way. It wasn't my intention, I promise. I told Mark to stay in the fucking car, but it's like trying to tell a kid to eat their veggies at dinner. It's just when it comes to you I'm selfish. I don't want you to date creepy newspaper guy. I don't want you to date Taylor. I don't want you to date anyone."

Heather squinted her eyes at Naya trying to fully understand what she was trying to tell her.

"So… you expect me to just be alone for the rest of my life?"

"I get that it's unreasonable, but at this point I really couldn't care less," Naya shrugged stubbornly as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Wait… You're actually serious?" Heather's smile began to falter.

Naya just nodded, settling for nothing less.

"You're... You're ridiculous!" Heather nearly exploded. "You can't just walk into my life and say all these wonderful things and expect me to not care when you make me think that you like me, but then stay over at Mark's place like it's nothing and then tell me that I'm not allowed to be with anyone. I'm sorry that I don't want to be a hermit—"

Heather's long, one-sentenced rant was shortly cut off as Naya fisted the collar of her shirt and stood up on her tip toes to press soft lips against hers. Heather's eyes widened in surprise as her back pressed against the shelves behind her, causing some boxes of perfectly organized tea bags and coffee blends to fall to the floor. Heather didn't care. Her shocked blue eyes fluttered closed at the velvety feel of Naya's wonderfully flavored lips caressing hers gently. All thought slipped from her mind as Naya swept her away. Her lips were just as amazing as the first time, possibly even better. While Naya had roughly pressed her against the stock shelves, her kisses were soft and sweet. Sweet lady kisses…

And Heather loved them. Her senses were completely overwhelmed and foggy… It could have been the luring smell of coffee or the herbal scent of tea, but Heather thought it was because she was completely surrounded by Naya. Her heart was thudding frantically in her chest as if it was trying to run away. Naya's hand unclenched from Heather's polo collar as she laid her palm flat over her beating heart, as if trying to contain it in her chest. She ran the pad of her index finger over the creamy skin exposed between buttons. It made her Latte Girl shudder. Naya kissed her meaningfully, hoping that Heather could feel how much she wanted her… only her.

She broke away reluctantly, chancing a glance up at hazy blue eyes that were reopening slowly.

"I'm… I'm sorry. I just couldn't figure out any other way to get you to shut up," Naya said breathlessly. "And I've wanted to do that for—"

Heather interrupted Naya's nervousness by grabbing her waist and pulling her back into her body, lips melding back together. Naya thought she felt Heather's nose nuzzle her upper lip affectionately. She didn't spend long thinking about it because her Latte Girl was kissing her back and it was everything she could possibly dream of. Naya wrapped her arms around Heather's neck lovingly, accidently knocking off another couple stacks of packaged paper cups and straws.

Heather leaned back slightly, still resting her head against Naya's as she whispered out against her lips.

"Everything with Taylor… I'm sorry that I…"

"I know," Naya husked softly, taking her lips up again with her own.

Naya paused too, needing to apologize, "And Mark…"

"I know," Heather echoed just wanting to continue kissing Naya softly for the rest of her life.

Naya could only smile lightheadedly into Heather's lips, kissing slowly and softly. She couldn't count how many times she's imagined kissing her Latte Girl since that first night… let's just say she had developed_ many_ different scenarios. Heather's lips continued to move languidly against hers; Naya couldn't help thinking that her kisses felt like that way she danced. They were so sweet and smooth like the light, airiness of the whipped cream that topped her caramel lattes. She nibbled flirtatiously at Heather's lips which were smiling adorably down at Naya. She squeezed her hips, drawing her flush against her body. She never wanted to let go.

Naya leaned her forehead against Heather's again. She nuzzled her nose against Naya's cute little button one.

"I suppose I'm sorry for being so unreasonably selfish," Naya said, finally breaking the comfortable silence.

"Well, I'll forgive you, given I now know the reason why you were being so selfish in the first place," Heather giggled.

"I get protective pretty easily…"

"I can see that. And I suppose I'll just have to get used to it."

Naya smiled lightly, dropping a quick kiss to her lips.

"And I'm sorry for all the misunderstandings… most them were my fault."

"I don't think we can just blame one person for all that," Naya snorted.

"Yah, true. When we're all old and wrinkly, we'll look back on this and laugh at how ridiculous this whole situation was," she said with a bright smile and Naya laughed.

"Old and wrinkly?" Naya reiterated.

"Yah…" Heather replied in a daze as Naya leaned in closer to her.

"You're too cute," she whispered lowly. She placed a kiss under her jaw and Heather felt her heart jump. She let out a long sigh.

"I guess I should go tell sandwich, newspaper guy that I'm taken again," Heather told Naya as she began to reluctantly unglue herself from Naya's sweet embrace.

"Again?" Naya questioned with a raised brow.

Heather blushed at the little slip up.

"Um… well… I may have told him I was seeing someone else when he tried to ask me out the first time…" Heather said bashfully.

"Hm… and rightfully so," Naya replied factually as Heather held her hand and led her back towards the café. The blonde smiled to her widely, shaking her head at her.

Heather reached the entryway of the storage room when she bumped in to a flustered Kaitlyn. She looked to Heather's beaming face then back behind her to Naya's which was mirroring a very similar expression and then down at their hands which were intertwined. She puzzled her brow and squinted her eyes as she looked at them suspiciously. She opened her mouth to make a snide remark when she saw the messy state of their inventory. Cups, straws, tea bags and coffee blends littered the wood floor. Her face crumpled in a scowl and Heather glanced over her shoulder to examine what Kaitlyn was looking at.

"Uh…" Heather said dumbfounded as she turned back to Kaitlyn who looked like a hot kettle ready to burst.

"What…? You! And you!" Kaitlyn began to blabber and point her finger accusingly at the two of them. Heather sensing danger quickly maneuvered around her fellow barista, pulling a laughing Naya behind her.

"I'll clean it up later! I promise!" Heather shouted over her shoulder.

"No customers in the back!" the two heard the short tempered, pixie-haired brunette shout out.

"Sorry Kaitlyn! You're the best!" Naya jokingly called after her.

Both of them giggled lovingly at each other, not caring about the consequences of their messy make-out session or how foolish they looked to everyone in the shop. Heather didn't let go of Naya's hand until she had to move her way back behind the counter. Their smiling eyes remained locked, sharing a secret that no one else could read. Heather smiled contentedly as Naya took her familiar pose leaning against the counter while watched her Latte Girl begin to prepare her morning medium caramel latte.

Everything was finally beginning to fall into place…

* * *

><p>Stay tuned for the next update guys! Thanks for reading this chapter. Here are the replies to some of your comments!<p>

**Kempokarate12: ** "My all time favorite part of this chapter was every word." How I always enjoy your comments! You always make me smile. Sorry with the frustrations with Taylor, but I definitely think the two needed closure before Naya and Heather could ever start anything. Naya's character is definitely very defensive and protective as seen from this chapter and previous ones, so it takes a lot for her to trust Heather. Oh and don't worry, I dream in Latte Girl world all the time… hence Heather's little dream she had in this chapter. Let's just say it's one that was very close to a dream I had about the two of them haha. This is probably due to writing this story in the wee hours of the morning. And yes, there will be more Lexi in the future. Believe me, your reviews are more helpful than you can ever imagine.

DON'T EVER STOP REVIEWING! :)

**Anonymous: "**By the way, you know what's a super awesome idea? Heather gets into a car accident on her way to Naya, maybe apologize and confess and stuff? then yeah, Naya's super upset, Heather stays in a coma for 1 or 2 years? 1 maybe then Glee is on season 2/3 wipee! cool right? ;)" Haha! That would definitely present an interesting storyline. Unfortunately this story will end before the second or third season starts. I wanted it to be primarily based around the first. Sorry, but awesome idea!

**Spiceygleek: "**Wow, I hate to say this but I think I am kinda liking the idea of Taylor trying to hit on Naya!" Haha! Is it weird that I actually fooled around with the idea a little too? I think it would serve as a crazy curveball, because I think Naya would just be totally turned off haha. I have no intention on having that happen in this story. However, it is giving me ideas for another fic!

**Blaze Phoenix: **Gosh, the way you describe my fic is how I describe Color and Music Box. That's just awesome, thank you. I love writing for Ashley so she'll definitely be making regular appearances. Alexis is a curious character… I have some pretty interesting plans for her and everything you mentioned is significant so I don't want to give too much away. "But also her reaction to Naya dating Mark, and Naya's reaction to leaving her with Heather. Were there possibly feelings on Lexi's part at some point towards Naya?" I think you're looking at this situation from the opposite I'm looking from haha. You have an interesting take, but Naya and Lexi's relationship is purely platonic. Lexi and Heather on the other hand will be another relationship you may want to reevaluate ;)

Haha, and sexy times is still being debated upon. However, there is an opportunity in the future for some sexy times to occur!

**Jac Lag: **"And your Naya is just so.. AWW.. I'm not sure why, but she always seemed to be portrayed as having a troubled past or something, causing her to be guarded, whereas Heather's always seemingly simple and open?" You're exactly right. I don't even have to add anything there, you're spot on. Like I said in the above response, Naya and Lexi never had an intimate relationship together. I had Naya explain to Heather in Chapter 14 that she and Lexi used to be close friends. However they had a falling out after Naya started dating Mark because she didn't approve of them being together which thus leads to their interactions now. The two haven't been able to salvage their past friendship (which was something that mirrored Heya in the first half of season 1). Lexi isn't brought up until now because Heather is finally on set and has to interact with the girl that has her role of Glee which will cause some tension. Their interaction together will be crucial for Heather's future in this story. The reason why Lexi doesn't connect with many people on set will be something else that will be further delved into in a future chapter as well. You have such great questions about Lexi and I assure you they will all be answered (hopefully) in future chapters where she's more highlighted!

Oh and Dianna was annoyed with Heather because she just doesn't like seeing Naya hurt and it was her idea to have road trip to Heather's place after all. So guilt also plays a role there. Sorry I made Taylor an ass… I mean no disrespect for the guy, but you can't blame a Heya fan in being biased haha.

**Quirky: **I had prepared this long response to defend what I wrote, but then I realized it wasn't worth it. In the end it boiled down to this: it doesn't matter because fanfiction is purely for entertainment. If you don't like where this is going, I'm sorry but it was what was always planned. I don't regret anything I've done and you can refer to the A/N for most of your complaints. But all-in-all, it's fanfiction. I do this for fun; to get my mind off of the not so beautiful things in life. I suppose that's what I try to capture in this fic. Along with my love for Heya and the story and everything, I try to capture aspects of human nature and all the beautiful and ugly things that come with it. I'm sorry that the characters aren't perfect, but I think the imperfections in people are what makes life beautiful and what makes this story interesting.

P.S. I'm always happy with what I write, or else I wouldn't write at all. Thanks for the review. I hope this clarifies something for you.

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><p>Thanks for the questions everyone. If you would like to discuss anything further with me, you can always PM me. I'm pretty good at getting back to your messages promptly :)<p> 


	17. Part 2: Chapter 16

A/N: Hi there. So, I know you probably all hate me for not updating for forever… but you know those moments where life really carries you away? Yah, that happened to me. I was recently studying abroad and really had no time at all to sit down and write something meaningful for this story. So I apologize sincerely for the months that you have all been waiting. And I thank those who still stick with this story. It's all been such great fun so far and I hope to get chapters out a little quicker.

I do have two very big announcements to make before you get to the chapter. I do encourage you read this, but I understand the long wait has been unbearable if you choose to skip ahead!

**I currently am looking for a new beta if anyone at all is interested in being my second pair of eyes for this story.** Unfortunately my current and absolutely amazing beta fossil_10 has been whisked away with work. I'm going to miss her dearly, but I'll forever remember our amazing collaborative relationship. Thanks fossil for giving my words so much more heart :) So please do message me if you are interested!

My second announcement is for SGAFirenity. **Recently this amazing author has run in to a little trouble and her awesome Heya fic Accepting Love has been deleted from this site**. I realized that several of our readers most likely overlapped, so I figured I'd give a shout out to all you if you have been following this fic to check out her LJ account which is updated frequently with new chapters.

Thanks for all those who read over this tid-bit! Means a lot. A lot of people have requested some happier times for our favorite couple. For those, your wish has been granted! This chapter is definitely one of my more fluffier ones. Also, to make up for the length of time between updates, I double the page length of this one. This one kind of serves as a set up piece, but I do hope you enjoy it. I want to especially thank you readers in general for sticking with me during rough times. I love this fic so much, and it's great to know that others have grown an attachment to it as well. Every PM and comment means so much. So thank you. I truly mean it.

I've answered a few questions at the end of the chapter! Keep 'em coming! Enjoy :)

P.S. the end bit with Kaitlyn is inspired by Jesse from The Parent Trap movie. Yeah, had one of those childhood memory moments re-watching that.

This chapter is not edited by a beta. All grammatical errors are my own. I apologize in advanced for any of them that you stumble upon.

Disclaimer: This fic is RPF! I do not own anything, this is a complete work of fiction. I DO NOT know either of these women nor am I affiliated with Glee or its creators. I also do not own the song "Taylor, The Latte Boy," by Kristin Chenoweth which this fic is loosely based on. These two are not a couple… unfortunately.

**The Latte Girl  
>Part 2: Chapter 16<strong>

Heather's mouth was sore. Before all her friends jumped to conclusions when she said so, she had to clarify that it wasn't due to anything sexual. Sure her and Naya were on better than great terms, but Heather was being nothing but a gentlewoman. Well, as much as Naya let her be. Her jaw had been aching from the wads of gum she had been chomping down on. In high school she was constantly scolded by her teachers for popping and smacking her gum during class. It didn't stop her though… it kinda became her signature thing. She was _that friend_ who always had an extra stick of gum for everyone to freshen their breath after dinner. Lately, her knack for chewing has turned into an addiction.

Ever since Naya's surprise attack kiss in the storage closet of the Black Horse Café, Heather had taken to chewing about a pack of gum a day. Ashley was laughing her ass off the other day when Heather brought home a jumbo box of Winterfresh gum from Costco. It was the kind of boxes you get when you're going to sell them at a snack bar of a football game or something. Her roommate knew very well what the purchase meant… Heather was in for some smack downs. The amount of gum she chewed was almost as bad as a smoker's craving for another cigarette. Luckily, her addiction wasn't as unhealthy. Even then her health was questionable with Naya making her heart race uncontrollably.

Aside the point, Heather had to take extra precautions. She never knew when another unexpected make-out session was to occur, especially now that she's been working on set more often. She had to stay minty fresh…. Heather quickly found out that Naya had a thing for sneaking around and stealing kisses behind secret corners and walls of the set. She never knew when Naya was going to surprise her again, not that she was complaining at all. She loved kissing Naya. She loved the fact that it wasn't a onetime thing. She loved how unpredictable Naya always was, like the rush of a caffeine kick from morning espresso. She never seemed to fail at sweeping Heather off her feet. She loved that she could kiss her whenever she liked, well when they were alone together that is. They weren't ready to flaunt their relationship in front of everyone. Like their storage room kiss, they decided it was best to keep their personal lives with each other in the closet for now. Neither of them were ready to be too public about it. They only told their close friends, and it wasn't even really much of telling than them already knowing and scoffing with a grumbling _"it's about time." _

Above of all, Heather loved how open Naya was being around her. Despite having to keep their relationship hush hush for the time being, Naya would always reassure her by shooting a knowing glance, snuggling close to her on set, or sneakily tugging her pinky in hers to let her know how much she wanted to hold her hand… It felt wonderful to be met halfway in this relationship. It wasn't something she was used to. In fact, it was more than she could have asked for.

She loved how everything Naya did made her feel so content and warm. She had a way in making Heather feel so special, like she was the only thing that mattered when they were in the same room together. Heather had never been in a relationship before where she had felt so cared for. She loved it so much how all these wonderful little details were pushing her closer and closer to the edge. She was falling… She was falling completely in…

No… Heather had to shake her head and clear her thoughts. She couldn't quite admit that to herself yet, worried the sensation might end suddenly.

Heather liked where they were going. She didn't want to ruin it.

_Everything was beginning to fall in to place._

The thought had been echoing within the chambers of her busy mind since their storage closet kiss.

It was early morning and the entire cast was called in for dance rehearsal. It was for a new number that Zach and Heather had created the day before. She couldn't wait to show it to everyone because she felt that they were able to really get the essence of New Directions within the choreography. It was loose, it was fun, and it was super funky. Those three traits were the major foundations in her dancing style which probably made her love the number even more.

The fact that their rehearsal was early in the morning meant that Heather was late… of course. She came rushing through the doors with two cups of coffee in her hands. Mostly everyone was already up on the risers listening to Zach give some pointers on the number or sitting on the floor chatting with each other with similar cups of coffee in their hands. Everyone except Naya. Heather was panting as she came in, furrowing her brow as she looked over the faces of the cast. She frowned when she didn't find the one that always made her smile. She shrugged her bag off where everyone else had dropped off their jackets and belongings and gave an apologetic smile towards Zach for being late once again. He waved his hand dismissively, completely used to it by now. She slid her red framed sunglasses atop her head when she spotted her. Her lips tugged upward in a bright smile and she had to roll her eyes at the sight of Naya.

Naya was curled up napping on the red love couch (as named by Kevin and Jenna) which was part of a makeshift lounge area for breaks for the cast and dancers during rehearsals. It also had become the second place Naya and Heather retreated to when they wanted some privacy. The first being Naya's trailer. No one really spent their breaks in the tinshed anyways because it often accommodates to whatever temperature it is outside. The blonde bubbly dancer bounded towards the couch. She placed her coffee cups gently on the ground before slipping behind Naya and snuggling close to her. She took her sunglasses off the top of her head and placed them on the edge of the couch, allowing her arm to rest comfortably over Naya's waist. Naya surprisingly didn't budge, welcoming the familiar feel of the arms she's memorized hold her close. Heather peaked over her shoulder, placing a small kiss there. She saw Naya's lips quirk up into a smile because of it.

"Good morning," Heather sung brightly to her.

"Morning…" Naya grumbled back in a tired voice, but her lips were still smiling. She refused to budge. "M' tired…"

"I can see that," Heather snorted.

"Your fault."

"_So _not my fault. You were the one who kept getting distracted last night," she reminded Naya flirtatiously. The brunette chuckled hoarsely, her voice not awake either.

Heather forgot to mention that Naya had been visiting her nightly at the café after she was done with work on set. The two would sit at their favorite corner table, a plate of the uneaten pastries from the day and a pot of caramel, buttercream, and vanilla tea set between them. It felt like the times when they first met. The two would laugh and talk about everything and nothing. While the topics of discussion varied each night, one aspect remained the same: their lips were always constantly occupied. Whether it be from talking, smiling, laughing, munching on pastries, or kissing. Heather never tired from it, maybe that's the reason why the two of them stayed up together till the early hours of the morning. When they realized how awful waking up the next day would be, Heather would close up shop and Naya would drive them home. It had been that way every night, each night better than the one before.

"Sorry, something about that tea makes your lips taste really good," Naya sighed, her sleepy honesty making Heather blush and bury her nose back into her shoulder bashfully.

Heather rolled the wad of gum in her mouth with her tongue. Maybe she should just drink their caramel, buttercream blend all the time instead of chewing gum?

"What are you doing back there?" Naya questioned as she shifted a little and reached behind her to stroke at Heather's hair, "Your jaw keeps tickling me every time you chew… and it feels like you're chomping down a forest."

Heather lifted her head back up, a slight smile on the corners of her lips. She was about to reply back cheekily when a tall shadow was cast over them and she heard the faintest snap sound of a camera phone.

"Daw… look at you two. You're too sweet."

Naya propped her chin on her fist as she looked up at the photographer knowingly.

"You know, your picture taking could come off super creepy to some people," she said with a playful smile on her lips.

"It's called capturing life, Naya. I won't have any of those cheesy ass poses," Cory joked back, bending slightly just so his butt was sticking out and then propping up one of his legs in a signature sorority squat. Heather giggled at how ridiculous Cory's tall, gangly frame looked demonstrating that infamous college pose.

"Oh, but that's just precious," Naya laughed out.

"Come on Heather, you agree with me," he said placing his hand on his hip making Naya snort.

Heather nudged at her giggling louder into her ear, "I can't believe you just snorted."

"Shut up," she grumbled still tired as she smacked Heather's hand that was closest to her playfully.

"Hey, one day Naya you'll be thanking me for capturing this beautiful moment in life for you," Cory stated matter-of-factly.

"Maybe… one day," Naya confirmed looking fondly back at Heather. As Cory watched the two of them he grinned widely.

"Oh, are we trying to imitate the Lea Michele pose?" Dianna soft voice asked lightly.

"Hey I heard that!" Lea barked over from the other side of the tinshed, pointing at Dianna. Naya rolled her eyes.

"I swear that woman has supersonic hearing…" Dianna mumbled.

"I actually came over as Naya's wakeup call. I know how loveable she is this early in the morning," Cory answered.

"Oh, did you now?" Naya butted in, voice dangerous. Cory took a hesitant step back.

"It's actually a special delivery message from Kevin… totally his idea," Cory said which granted him one of Naya's sarcastic smiles. She glared over at Kevin who was sniggering with Jenna and Chris.

"Well, if you're bugging one you do realize you're bugging two of them. It comes in a package," Dianna joked.

"Ha ha… you're just so hilarious. We're not _always _together," Naya glowered at the blonde who just grinned in accomplishment.

"She's got a point ya know," Heather told her knowingly.

"See? I'm just on my game today."

"Who's side are you on here?" Naya bickered towards the blonde. Heather just buried herself back into Naya, wrapping her arms tighter around her.

"Don't think you're being let off easy just because you're adorable," she whispered to Heather.

She could feel Heather smile widely against her skin.

"Okay… I think I might just die from this love fest and I've only been here for two minutes," Dianna smiled placing her hand over her heart after Cory showed her the picture he just snapped.

Naya rolled her eyes again sitting up reluctantly, forcing Heather to move with her. She brushed her pinky over Heather's momentarily before crossing her arms over her chest.

"It's like you two have never seen a chick flick before."

"This is much more entertaining. This is real life shit," Cory told her, his goofy smile growing wider.

"Oh please," Naya said getting up and taking the phone from Cory and Dianna, shaking her head.

When her eyes landed on the image of the two of them on the screen of Cory's phone her face softened. The corners of her lips pulled into a gentle curving smile as she looked at the perfectly captured picture of Heather pressed against her back, while Naya's hand reached behind her to pull at the blonde's ponytail. She didn't know what word to use to describe it. She raised her brows up slightly and chewed on her bottom lip. It was crazy how… comfortable everything fit. It was like they had been doing this thing that they had together forever. Naya thought they looked so complete… she knew she _felt_ complete with Heather's arm around her like that. It was almost like they were made for each other, as bizarre and ridiculous as it sounded in Naya's head.

Naya's eyes lifted up from the phone screen at the other half of the picture. Heather sat on the couch quietly with her legs crossed Indian-style and her paper coffee cup held halfway to her lips in both hands. She looked at Naya questioningly, eyebrows raised mirroring her own. Naya smiled wider at the girl on the couch. She smiled back, that dorky lopsided smile.

Yeah, everything fit just right.

When she realized the amount of time that had passed by she cleared her throat and gave Cory's phone back to him.

"What can I say? It's like what everyone talks about. We make a good two-shot," was all she said as she sat back down next to Heather who had picked Naya's coffee back up and handed it her. She took it gratefully.

Dianna had been watching Naya's face the whole time. Her fingers thrummed against her chin as a quiet smile spread on her lips. She hadn't seen her friend so happy. It warmed her heart knowing that things had evened out; and that her efforts had not been for nothing... Dianna had always been an expert at reading into characters. That was why she was so good at her job and why Quinn received the story arc that she had. She knew that there was always a history behind every individual that influenced their actions. With Naya, she immediately began filling in the blanks the moment the two met. It helped them grow close and it allowed Naya to trust Dianna. Yet, with all the time she had spent with this girl whom she can annoy and love simultaneously, she couldn't find this one small piece to put Naya altogether. It was the piece that explained her odd mixture of doubtfulness, confidence, sweetness, and fierceness. She never understood it… until this little, dancing latte maker came pirouetting into Naya's life and changed this whole Glee world completely. She knew the two of them would eventually find each other… they had fate on their side after all.

Now it was Heather's turn to be placed under Dianna's microscope. Being one of Naya's best friends she took it under her responsibility to make sure that this new girl didn't break her heart. She saw how Heather looked to Naya with such adoration and Naya always looked back with such trust. Dianna almost believed that she must have been graced on this earth to be the brunette's anchor. But she was more than that… she had depth to that ever-giving soul of hers. Heather was one of the most open-hearted people she's ever met. She was always thinking of others before ever giving her own well-being an afterthought. Dianna sometimes thought she was sometimes too open-hearted… she knew there was some sort of damage there. It was as if Heather didn't feel worthy of being on set with them, and the only way she could prove of her worth is to give more time, more effort…

Dianna chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully. She hoped that weren't true… With Heather in a room smiles would always be brought to people's faces, even the most stubborn. She was full of so much life. Like Naya, she too was starting to look towards Heather with trust. Not only did she seem to complete Naya's puzzle, she completed this Glee family. Everything had seemed warmer and brighter with her around. Not to mention the three of them together always managed to get away with trouble. She seemed to fit… and that was a detail Dianna could not ignore.

Cory, on the other hand, had been oblivious to all the hidden aspects to the duo sitting snuggly together on the love couch.

"Don't worry, I'll send it to you later," he told Naya in a promising voice. He had a glint of knowingness in his eyes as he pocketed his phone and went off to talk to Zach.

When he left, Dianna squeezed herself beside Naya who scowled at her. Heather just giggled and smiled across a sandwiched Naya at the other blonde.

"So, what were you two cuddle bugs flirting about?" Dianna questioned openly, taking a sip of her tea.

"You know…" Naya began, that scratchy early-morning voice starting to wear off, "I should just quit telling you about my relationships. You can never seem to remember the little details, oh you know like how we're trying to keep a low-profile?"

"Honey, you threw those 'little details' out the window weeks ago…" Dianna mimicked her. "You and I did see the same picture just now, right? With your adorable PDA you're not fooling any of us, well except the producers and the sound crew… but everything flies over their heads," Dianna waved away with her hand.

Naya scoffed and rolled her eyes, "We're not that bad…"

"Hey, you promised last night that you'd be nice," Heather told her softly with a nudge. Naya's scowl softened.

"Oh don't worry, sweetie. This is our form of exchanging our love for each other."

Heather raised an eyebrow.

"It's actually true," Naya cocked her head to the side in agreement,

"Honesty is love, right Nay?" Dianna leaned on the smaller girl's shoulder. Naya just shook her head and smiled, "And I can honestly say that we're all so very happy for you two."

Dianna gave Naya's arm an affectionate squeeze making the brunette break out into a genuine smile; the one that makes her eyes squinty and her nose crinkle. Heather simply sat beside quietly and watched the two friends happily.

"So," Dianna said, sitting back up, "What's new with the both of you? Any cute date stories for me?"

"Just when I'm starting to like you, you turn into that 'girl-talk self' of yours," Naya tells her.

"Sorry, it's a part of my thirteen-year-old heart that didn't get to live out its glory days."

"Gum," Heather says simply as she sipped on her coffee and chewed on her gum at the same time. Naya thought it was gross, but again… Heather was determined to be prepared for the unexpected.

"Gum?" Dianna repeated. Naya chuckled.

"Yeah, we were talking about gum. I've always been an avid chewer," Naya laughed louder as Heather continued, "but lately it's been getting worse. Naya was making fun of me for it."

The two were smiling at each other and Dianna almost swooned at the inside joke.

"Well, you know what people say about those who chew extensive amounts of gum don't you?" Dianna asked mischievously.

Heather shook her head.

"It means you're sexually frustrated."

Heather stopped in mid-chew, her cheeks flushing on cue. Naya had to suppress another snort.

"Is that so?" Naya asked, as she looked over to Heather, brow raised and smile cheeky. She eyed Heather's lips hungrily watching as her gaze made the blonde's face turn an even darker shade of red. It reached all the way up to the tips of her ears. These were the moments she actually liked Dianna's presence.

Heather fiddled with her nails. She could feel the skin on her arm touching Naya's getting hotter and hotter and the couch getting smaller and smaller.

"Well… I'm not a hundred percent sure. I may be confusing it with that other psychology theory about crunching on ice all the time… Apparently that could mean you're sexually frustrated too," Dianna pondered and then shrugged. She definitely knew of the seeds she just planted as she could see them growing.

"Funny, cause this one here _loves_ to munch on all the little ice cubes in her cold drinks," Naya continued to play on, loving how Heather continued to grow redder and redder.

"No! Well… yes… it's uh…" Heather bumbled about and she could see the satisfactory smile creep on Naya's lips, "it's been hot lately so I like to order our iced coffee at the café. We have those really cool little, spherical ice that taste really good…"

Her voice faded miserably as she heard how lame her words sounded.

"You just like ice drinks because you know I'll laugh when you try to talk with your tongue all swollen."

Heather shook her head and smiled, embarrassed cheeks still flushing.

"Guilty," she pleaded. She turned her direction to Dianna, "Where exactly did you learn all this Dianna?"

"You mean Psychologist Dianna?" the blonde corrected with a laugh. Naya rolled her eyes at the reference.

"What?" Heather laughed out.

"I'm convinced in my past life that I was William Moulton Marston, secretly known as Charlie Moulton," Dianna told Heather who was snickering hysterically. "He was a psychologist by day and feminist leader by night. Look it up. It's scarily weird how much we think alike."

Naya put a palm over her eyes in embarrassment, pretending to not know where this was coming from while the other two on the couch giggled at each other. Zach came over to the laughing trio on the couch.

"Okay you three, I'm glad you're all pleasantly awake, but now it's time to funk it up," Zach told them enthusiastically, "Come on, Hemo. We've got to set things up… what's wrong with your face?"

Zach did a double take on her, "Your cheeks are beet red."

"Are they?" Heather half-laughed covering her enflamed cheeks, "Must uh… be the hot coffee."

They must have still been pink from their gum and ice conversation… She placed her half empty coffee cup on the end table by the couch and gave out her hand to Naya to help her up.

"Right… well, better cool off. You've got a big announcement to make," he told her as he made his way over to the front of the tinshed.

"I do?" Heather puzzled her brow. She looked back to Naya who looked just as clueless as she did.

Everyone gathered in the center of the tinshed expecting to begin the breakdown of the "Give Up The Funk" number. Zach and Heather stood in front of the group.

"Okay everyone! Before we get started, we have something to announce to you. As you all know by now, the producers and Ryan have been putting the finishing details on the Glee Concert tour this summer. So far the process has been exciting and we can't wait to give you the latest developments soon."

Heather examined the cast in front of her. It had been almost a month of working back on the Glee set and she couldn't believe how much things have changed since. Everything was so rocky at the start with the Blonde Beyoncé fiasco, but after her and Naya had made up she quickly found her place on set. Yes, majority of the time she spent by Naya's side. The two of them loved messing around with the crew and cast, but Heather quickly has been able to develop relationships with each individual standing before her. Every episode called for several songs which came hand-in-hand with choreography. From small intimate pieces in the choir room to the large scale production numbers on the auditorium stage, Heather was constantly called to the Paramount sound stages where they were filming so her and Zach could run body control. Anticipating which actor or actress she was going to be working with that day made Heather ecstatic to come to set each morning. Even Mark had begun to grow on her. Now that she had some alone time with him, she realized that he's not such a bad guy after all. His humor was just all tongue-in-cheek, something Heather had to adjust to. He had good intentions though and Heather knew that Mark never truly intended on hurting Naya. Their relationship just happened at a messy time.

Whether they were the best dancer of the bunch or moved around like Frankenstein, they were all so dedicated to their craft. Their effort certainly made her job easier. They truly were all extraordinarily talented. That was one of her favorite part about this whole Glee gig… she has grown and learned so much from all of these kids about being a performer within such a small time frame. It had been such an honor to work with all of them. Heather couldn't imagine doing anything else…

She smiled widely at the lot of them, as if to let them know how much she appreciated their hard work. Her eyes landed on Naya who was doing some silly shimmy dance move next to Kevin.

_Yeah… I certainly wouldn't mind doing this for the rest of my life, _she thought happily.

"However," Zach continued, breaking Heather out of her trail of thought, "there is one piece of information that I'm _finally_ allowed to share with you."

Everyone's ears perked up, even Heather's.

"Everyone knows I'm choreographing the tour and going with you crazies to make adjustments and run-throughs at each venue. It's going to be rough in rehearsals balancing the last of the season's numbers and freshening up the choreography for the songs selected for the tour," Zach explained and then paused for dramatic effect.

He turned to Heather beaming brightly at her.

"So, it's my pleasure to announce that our very own, little Heather Morris is to be assistant choreographer and featured as one of the principle dancers on Glee Live!" Zach exclaimed, clapping his hands together.

Heather didn't have time to really process what Zach said when the gang immediately engulfed her. They all laughed and cheered in excitement for the shocked dancer. She had no idea how or when all of this was made official. Seeing the confused look in her eyes, Zach finally made his way back next to her when the rest of the group distracted themselves momentarily with the excitement of the tour. Heather looked to him gratefully and pulled him in to a tight embrace. She could barely find words to express her gratitude to this man who fought for her constantly. He believed in her at times when she had no confidence in herself. He allowed her to dream… you don't find mentors like that very often. Heather owed him her world.

"When? How?" was all she could manage to say in his ear as she held Zach tight. He laughed warmly as they pulled apart.

"My super good persuasion skills," he joked and then answered seriously, "Your work lately and assistance in "Safety Dance" was warmly recognized."

Heather smiled brightly, hugging him once more.

"I don't know how to thank you. You've done so much for me…"

"No, this time it was all you. Sure, it's helpful to have connections, but you proved yourself worthy of this paycheck, Heather. The producers saw it. Told you never to give up, Hemo. I knew you would make it," he told her fondly.

It took all her power not to tear up. Sensing that her emotions were getting the best of her, Zach tapped her on the nose and turned over to the stereo to start rehearsal. He started talking business like usual, "We'll start bouncing around ideas after the morning's run-through. Okay kids, now that we've distracted ourselves crazy this morning… let's get started!"

Heather cocked her head to the side as a thought came to her.

"How'd you know I would say yes?" she whispered to him.

Zach turned around and faced her with a smile.

"Let's just say that it wasn't just _my_ idea…" he answered with that glint in his eye, he nodded behind Heather and said, "Besides, even old Zach knows that this is an offer you would never refuse."

Heather spun around and caught Naya's smiling mocha eyes. Her heart warmed and a smile immediately snuck up on her own lips, curling up into her signature lopsided grin.

"Yeah you've got a point," she murmured back at Zach.

Naya beamed at Heather, so incredibly proud of her. The new assistant choreographer of the Glee tour bounded over to the tiny actress who laughed excitedly. Heather wrapped her arms around her waist tightly and lifted her up off the floor, spinning her around. Naya squealed in her ear as she picked her Ugg boot covered feet in the air. When Heather placed her down, she squeezed Naya's waist affectionately, wanting desperately to kiss her right then. She refrained herself. Heather was quite aware of the eyes watching them, but not caring that much to break away from the smaller girl who brought dance magically back into her life. They didn't say anything and neither of them needed to. No words were necessary to say what was on their minds as Heather chose to engulf Naya back into a hug.

Heather wasn't sure how this all happened really. Naya had changed her life in more ways than one. Just months ago Heather was settling with just about every aspect in her mediocre life. She was settling with her just above minimum-wage job at the café, living paycheck to paycheck in the materialistic city of L.A., hanging on to old memories of a lost love. Heather was spiraling downwards. She didn't even realize how much out of hope she was until Naya came back into her life. She reminded Heather of the person she was and how far she had strayed away from that. She felt like she could finally move forward after being stuck in the past for so long.

Naya had some sort of magic. Heather was convinced. If she hadn't walked into the Black Horse Café that morning she would still be lost.

When Heather slowly parted from Naya, she took one of her arms that hooked around her neck. She grasped petite, tan hands lightly in hers and toyed with her fingers briefly before locking their pinkies together. Naya smiled brightly at the notion. Heather was pretty sure Naya wanted to kiss her too.

"Hi everyone! I'm so sorry I'm late!" everyone turned to the doorway as Lexi came rushing in to the tinshed. One arm was full holding a big binder with thickets of paperwork and the other a large cup of coffee. She was later than Heather today and that was saying something because Heather was normally always the last one to arrive.

"What's your excuse, Shmolls?" Mark called out with a teasing voice. He met her halfway as she hurried over to the group.

"You do realize that you're the only one that calls me that?" she told him with that slow southern ring. She chugged down the last bits of her coffee.

Mark shrugged, running a hand over his buzzed hair, "Well, you're the only person I've met who has Molly as a middle name. I'd say it's unique."

"Yeah? Well apparently you haven't spent a lot of time in Georgia," she laughed, side-kicking him in the butt.

Heather looked to Naya quizzically at the action. Naya just winked back, hinting that she'd fill her in later.

"Sorry if I was holdin' everyone up. My meeting with my agent this morning ran a little later than expected."

"What kind of weirdo schedules a meeting with their agent at freaking six in the morning?" Mark continued to tease quietly to her.

"Apparently this one," she whispered back, her voice wavering slightly at the topic. Mark just chuckled in response, not noticing her change in tone.

"It's okay, Lexi. We're just about to officially get started. We had a short little pow-wow," Zach told her.

"Oh, did I miss anything important?"

"Zach announced that Heather landed assistant choreographer and principal dancer on the tour," Kevin informed her.

"Really?" Lexi beamed at Heather with that perfect smile.

"Yeah, I was kinda surprised with everyone else," Heather laughed.

"Congratulations!" the ginger exclaimed, giving Heather a warm hug. She gladly reciprocated.

"This is perfect for you, ya know?" she whispered in her ear.

"Yah, it's pretty amazing," Heather smiled appreciatively at the fellow dancer who understood the importance of such an opportunity.

"You earned it."

As the two exchanged smiles, Mark nudged at Naya.

He leaned down and whispered to her, "What's going on there?"

Heather made a side glance back at Naya giving her an excited thumbs-up. She smiled.

"I don't know, but I'm not worried," she said confidently. And she truly didn't because her tummy was doing somersaults excitedly at the thought of a whole summer on the road with Heather.

* * *

><p>"So what's the verdict?" Kaitlyn asked with a raised brow.<p>

"The peanut butter, chocolate one wins, but the lemon comes in a close second," Naya answered licking at the crumbs on her fingers from the delicious muffins she's just ate.

"Yes!" Kaitlyn fist-pumped and then pointed her finger at Heather, "See, I told you so. Everyone goes for chocolate."

"Whatever… Thanks for the support, hon," Heather told Naya playfully as she brushed off Kaitlyn who was doing a victory dance with a mop.

"Sorry, Hemo. I don't play favorites," Naya winked at her and Heather shook her head.

"Mhm, don't be a sore loser. Victory for 'Sweet of the Week' round 62 goes to Team…" the pixie-hair cut, brunette did a drum roll on the counter, "Super Cooper!"

Heather laughed at her goofy co-worker. These competitions for whose new take on an old recipe got to be featured as the recommended sweet pastry of the week had become a long-running tradition between the two baristas. And traditions never got old. Even with their odd schedules now that Heather had to work part-time, they still managed to have their bakeoffs. Lately Naya sat in as their "celebrity judge" as Kaitlyn sarcastically called her position. The more the actress spent around the coffee shop during and after hours, the more she grew on Kaitlyn. Of course this was after she let the whole storage closet incident pass…

Kaitlyn was standing on her tip toes trying to etch in another tally mark on their official scoreboard which was in the corner of their blackboard style menu. Heather chuckled as she watched the shorter girl stretch her limbs.

"Hand it over, shorty," she teased at her as she slipped the chalk from Kaitlyn's hand and bumped her hip to move aside. The brunette waved her hand at her as Heather easily reached up and gave her the deserved point under "S.C.".

They made up their team names the first week Heather got hired at the Black Horse Café. Kaitlyn absolutely hated baking when Heather first arrived, so to make it more fun the blonde proposed the competition. Kaitlyn became Team Super Cooper as she had just bought her little, girly and very orange Mini Cooper that year. Heather, on the other hand, became Team Flying Unicorns. Kaitlyn always trash talked on how her team name was silly… she should have just been Team Pegasus. Heather thought unicorns were way cooler. Besides, she always cracked up every morning when she saw the initials "F.U." written on the board. Heather was several points ahead, being the better baker and choosing to be more creative with her recipes… but whenever Kaitlyn did win, she never heard the end of it.

"Your winning streak is over, Morris! It's all downhill from here," Kaitlyn hollered at her as she walked over to the cash register to take care of a customer who just entered.

"You just got lucky this time," she replied. She turned herself back over to Naya who was sitting on one of their barstools by the counter. She leaned over and whispered, "You cheated didn't you?"

"What are you talking about? I was sitting here this whole time," Naya said innocently. "I said you came in a close second."

"Yah, and second place is the first loser," Heather rolled her eyes as Kaitlyn passed her a cup with an order on it before bustling off to the back. Naya chuckled at the comment.

After Heather was finished on set earlier that morning, she came to the Black Horse Café for her Thursday night closing shift. She was happy to see how quickly everyone learned the "Give Up the Funk" routine. It was probably because the kids were allowed to have fun with it as they encouraged them to let loose with the choreography and use their signature dance moves. Dianna getting down and funky probably had to be one of the best thing she's ever seen in her entire life. The blonde got so in to it. Both she and Naya couldn't stop laughing, which of course made Dianna laugh at herself even harder. At the end of the rehearsal, Heather's favorite was Naya… Who couldn't fall in love with her adorable little arm spasm dance? It always brought a smile to her face. She had to beg Zach to let Naya do it instead of the original, more technical move they had planned out.

Heather and Zach began planning for the chosen numbers on the tour. The more they talked the more excited Heather got. She had so many ideas and Zach listened to them with an open mind. She knew this journey was going to be an amazing one, especially knowing that it will be one taken with Naya. After Naya had finished her work on set, she came over to the café and watched Heather make drinks for the rest the night. They were lucky that it was a particularly quiet night and that Kaitlyn was there too if things got a little busier. The place was practically empty with the exception of a college-aged boy studying quietly and a couple too engrossed in themselves to be much of a bother.

"I thought you would have appreciated the vanilla and poppy seed components. I even added a little bit of coconut because I knew you would like that," Heather mumbled.

Naya chuckled, "And I did. But, you know I'm a sucker for chocolate… and peanut butter for that matter. If anything you had the advantage with that information."

"I was trying to do something seasonal! It's almost summer and lemon goes well with that…" she said as she added nonfat milk to a white chocolate mocha. She thought the order was a little contradictory.

"Well, I'll give you brownie points for being creative. How about that?"

"Hey, don't be giving her any bonuses… That's called being biased!" Kaitlyn retorted as she whisked by to make her round on refills.

The two of them giggled.

"She's got a point… I'm pretty biased when it comes to you," Naya told her sweetly.

Heather blushed as she lidded the coffee cup and gave it out to the tired woman standing by the bar. She smiled brightly, getting a small smile back. Heather picked up a dirtied kettle and began rinsing it.

"So tell me honestly… what did you think about today?"

"I told you, the chocolate, peanut butter one. Just because I like you doesn't mean I'm gonna change my mind, Hemo," Naya told her smiling.

Heather laughed, "No, about the announcement on the tour. Were you surprised?"

"No… not at all. Were you?" Naya said simply as she shrugged. Heather smiled as she dried the kettle.

"You make it sound as if the offer was obvious... like it isn't a big deal."

"It _is _a big deal. I think it's amazing. But yah… I knew something like this was going to happen sooner or later," she said quietly.

"I guess I'm just not used to getting offers like this…" she said taking a deep breath in.

"Come here," Naya beckoned to her with her finger. Heather placed the tea kettle on top of her towel as she walked over to where Naya sat. She leaned her elbows down on the counter surface and Naya immediately began playing with her fingers. The notion made her smile.

"You know when I was first starting to get to know you, I couldn't for the life of me figure out why you were so lost," Naya began with a smile. "You're so young ya know? We're all so young. We have our whole lives ahead of us, yet you were already so set on giving up. I didn't understand… I couldn't understand. But then, once you started talking about dance I could see it in your eyes."

As Naya spoke Heather looked deeply at her, her eyes glimmering with trust.

"I could see the rejection and the hurt…"

Heather smiled weakly, "Yeah… and I told you how tired I was of hearing the word 'no'."

"I remember," Naya reminisced on the long, late night chats the two had about hopes and dreams. Naya chewed on her lower lip as she looked up at Heather who was staring down at their lightly entangled fingers. "But you know what else I saw?"

Heather shook her head.

"Hope. Buried deep down in there, even with all that rejection, you still had hope. You're so hard on yourself… you were giving up before you even let yourself try. It was like you wouldn't let that hope shine."

Heather gave a little hollow laugh. It made Naya clutch at her fingers tighter.

"But Heather, what you have to remember is that you can still do anything. You can change your mind, start over. The possibilities are endless because you have talent."

"And I have you…" Heather slipped automatically. Her eyes widened at what she said. Naya smiled at her.

"No, you did this on your own Heather," Naya told her firmly.

Heather shook her head. She'll never know all that she's done to inspire Heather to return to the dance floor. When it comes to dreams, Heather knew so much support was needed to make them come true. She was lucky that she had it.

"You don't even know how much you've done for me," she whispered. Her breath tickled Naya's cheeks. Those cheeks cutely appled up as she smiled. Heather chuckled.

"And you don't know how much I want to kiss you right now too," she added lightly.

Naya giggled.

"I'm so happy for you and I'm so happy about… about us," she said quietly.

"Me too."

"You deserve this Heather. The whole cast and crew were so proud that you landed this job—"

"Huh?" They both heard Kaitlyn choke out. The two broke away from each other, Heather standing up straight and twirling a finger in her ponytail. She didn't know how long she was quietly standing there listening to them. By the look of Kaitlyn's uncharacteristically glossy eyes she would guess she was there for quite some time…

"Um… what?" Heather coughed. "Sorry, I should be cleaning up the dishes I know—"

"You landed a job? Dancing?" she said quietly.

"Yes. Well, nothing has been settled… I just found out today. Don't worry! I'm not leaving yet or anything," Heather told her so she wouldn't explode. But the type of explosion Heather was anticipating wasn't the one that happened.

"Yah, normally these things take a little bit of time with the paperwork and everything," Naya backed her up.

"So… so what is it? What does the job entail exactly?" Kaitlyn asked.

"I'm going to be the assistant choreographer on their tour and a principal dancer. It's a big leap, but why not right? I think I'm ready to be back on the road again," Heather said excitedly.

Kaitlyn just nodded before averting her gaze and looking down at the floor. Heather frowned at her reaction.

"What's wrong Kaitlyn?"

"Nothing," she sniffled.

"Kaitlyn? Are you… crying?" Naya asked in slight disbelief.

"What? No!" the small brunette exclaimed, flailing her arm out that wasn't still holding her pot of coffee. Her nose was bright red and little streams of tears were beginning to run down her cheeks.

"There's nothing wrong. I'm not acting any different… I'm acting towards her like any other day since the first day I met her. Scrawny and sad with dashed dreams... This is totally normal," she choked out, voice abnormally higher.

She wiped at her face with the edge of her sleeve. Her little outburst was drawing attention from the three customers still in the shop. They looked at her as if she were crazy. But Naya and Heather knew better…

"I'm sorry. I'm just a little emotional right now. It must be that time of month or something…"

She looked at Heather giving her a watery smile, fanning her hand in front of her enflamed face. From all her mornings and days working with this hard-shelled woman, Heather had never seen her this moved before. Kaitlyn was so tough and always protected Heather from the get-go. She was so vulnerable when she was first hired and she was lucky that she had a co-worker that was so kind and understanding towards her. It made the blonde smile her lopsided grin. She walked out from behind the bar and engulfed Kaitlyn in a warm hug.

"I know…" she said quietly.

Kaitlyn squeezed back.

"I'm so, so happy for you, Heather," she wailed almost incoherently in her ear, "You've grown up so much."

Heather laughed as she pulled away from the younger girl, "You act like _you're _supposed to be the older one!"

Kaitlyn slapped at her butt in reply. She walked towards the back still wiping at her cheeks, facing Naya and Heather.

"We need celebratory drinks. Don't you think? Yah, I'm just gonna go to the back and make some crazy, awesome concoction for you. And… And a free round of drinks on the house for everyone, okay?" she shouted the last part to the quiet customers eyeing a hysterical Kaitlyn as she disappeared in the back kitchen.

Heather smiled sweetly at her fellow barista, shaking her head lovingly.

"She makes this place sound like a bar…" Heather joked trying to lighten the mood a little. The people remaining in the café returned to what they were doing.

"She's proud of you," Naya said simply, "We all are."

Heather kissed her quickly on her temple, her nose brushing her hair, before scurrying back behind the counter.

"Yah, I know."

* * *

><p>Thanks for the questions! Glad that people are still interested in this story to ask them. Your advice and love for this story keeps me going :)<p>

**L: **Am I dead? Haha. That's a good question… sometimes I feel like I am from pure exhaustion, but physically, no. My hearts still beating! I'm sorry I kept everyone waiting! It's good to be back.

**BadgerAllegiant: **The tid-bit in my author's note about a fluffy chapter is dedicated to you my friend! I hope this chapter met all your expectations. I agree with you about RL Taylor. I don't think he's a bad guy at all. I like that you brought up someone hitting on Naya and Heather being the protective one for a change. I actually was considering putting a scene of the two of them going to an after party sort of event… I think that would be a funny concept and I'll definitely keep it in mind :)

**SR4SC: **Hi there! Yes, I am continuing! There are going to be a few more chapters before I reach a final conclusion so hang in tight! Thank so you much for the review.

**ThatGirlIsMe: **Oh gosh, I think it might be scary if Naya or Heather read this! Or any of my work for that matter… I'd be too terrified and kind of embarrassed that the inspirations of my stories are reading my words haha. Thanks for the review. And I'll try to take better care of myself :)

**Yes: **You are a clever, clever reader… haha. When I read your comment and saw that you mentioned the couch pic I literally laughed at my computer screen. Including the couch pic was something I intended to do when I was first writing this story! My other fic is set around S2 so it's definitely fun to look back and write about the Heya moments during S1. Look out for more Heya moments that I'll include in this fic in the very near future ;) Gosh, I swear you're psychic!

**Snix: **Yes, unfortunately I'm ending the story before S2 begins. But I think the way I end it will be a nice tie-in for what we know happens in S2 :) Thanks for the comment!

**LaurenKnight13: **Haha, yes they are together as you probably now know after reading this chapter. However, they have yet to go on their official first date. Don't worry that is going to happen soon! And part of your comment is actually going to happen by the end of the story :)

**SGAFirenity: **Hopefully I got everything you wanted me to say in that author's note! I do hope that everyone finds your fic :) I wanted to thank you for your heartfelt comment. It means so much. I'd never thought my writing would be able to have this sort of effect on people, and I thank you for being honest with me and letting me know. It shows me that I'm doing something right. And I agree… I think painting pictures is the best way to tell a story. Going into character's thoughts really helps readers and writers understand them I think. Glad that you enjoy that :) Good luck with everything and thank you so much for reading.

**Kempokarate12: **Hello you! Where do I even begin with responding back to your questions and comments? It's always a joy hearing from you. You always manage to make me smile when I read your reviews. The part where you give a synopsis of the past chapter was perfect really. I think you should just take over my job and write the rest! Haha. I have to be honest and say that I was absolutely obsessed with the kiss in the 'Heart' episode. I did my best to try to recreate it. I also tried to do the same thing when Brittany kisses Santana's temple in the 'Glee-ver' episode during this chapter. I don't think that was as obvious though! Kaitlyn is one of my favorites to write even though she's an OC. I hope she was funny in this chapter as well. Your blurb about Naya and Heather in a nursing home together is priceless! Seriously, someone (or you) needs to write a story about them two being cute old ladies together. Too funny… On a more serious note, every time you compare my fic to Color I get a little emotional. Totally serious. I love and adore that fic so much, so the fact that you compare my story to EverShadow's makes me speechless. Really… thank you so much for that. And I completely agree with you on what you said about rereading it. I can never reread Color again. Not only will it make me turn into a mess of tears, but I'll never be able to get that same feeling as when I first read it. So I completely understand where you're coming from. So, I'll just have to thank you for being an absolutely precious reader for leaving such heart-warming and silly comments on this story. They mean so much. I'm glad that this story will be with you. As a writer that's all I work for :) As for the cast interrogating Heather, that would be hilarious. I would love to do something like that. However, I'm not so sure when I can squeeze that in to my plan. But I can see what I can do!


	18. Part 2: Chapter 17

A/N: Hi. This will be short I promise. I apologize for taking forever to update. To tell you the truth, this chapter has been done since early December, but I've been hesitant to post it because it hasn't been read by anyone else. Along with that, school is really draining me away, but being able to write for your guys truly does make things a little brighter. I just wish I had more time to do so. I want to thank everyone who has left a comment or have sent a message. Latte Girl has reached over 1,000 comments! That's absolutely incredible. I'm thrilled to know that you all have enjoyed reading as much as I have enjoyed writing this story. I truly am thankful.

Please don't be surprised if nothing gets posted in a while after this… life has just been crazy. I apologize in advanced for those still following this story. It's been a little difficult answering questions in every chapter, so please PM me if you have any questions related to the fic or would simply like to chat. Also a special shout out to sarake_leeg and chwang42 for always having my back. Love ya ladies.

This chapter is betaless so all grammar errors are my own (if anyone is still interested in betaing please PM me and I'll fill you in).

I've missed this, I truly have... Hope everyone feels the Heya love in this one! Enjoy!

(Total Side Note: I don't have a tumblr, but I found the most adorable poster for The Latte Girl by ohvalerievalerie (ohvalerievalerie . tumblr . com) and fell in love. Just wanted to give a shout out to you too darlin'! Everyone should check this out!)

Disclaimer: This fic is RPF! I do not own anything, this is a complete work of fiction. I DO NOT know either of these women nor am I affiliated with Glee or its creators. I also do not own the song "Taylor, The Latte Boy," by Kristin Chenoweth which this fic is loosely based on. These two are not a couple… unfortunately.

**The Latte Girl**

**Part 2: Chapter 17**

**Chapter 17**

After Naya took Heather home last night, the tiny brunette insisted on playing chef knowing the hard-working barista was exhausted from her two jobs. Naya was disbelieving when Heather revealed her instant Mac-N-Cheese based diet, but she found the confession was true after investigating Heather's pantry to find what she could work with. She decided on improvising her own healthier version of Mac-N-Cheese which didn't involve using a microwave. When Heather watched Naya zoom around the kitchen it was like seeing her through a new pair of glasses. Naya's lips were in a constant smile as she would make conversation with Heather all the while multi-tasking a simmering sauce pan and dicing vegetables. She wondered if this is how Naya felt when she watched Heather make lattes. Heather would try to be of some sort of assistance, but whatever her task she would end up making a mess and Naya would poke fun at her. She would never admit it to her, but she loved it when Naya got bossy.

Ashley more than welcomed a little late night snack and Heather could never say no to more time with Naya. She made a fantastic meal basically out of thin air. It didn't surprise Heather though. She thought Naya was awesome at everything she did.

"See? We match. You make us dessert and I cook us dinner," Naya hummed in Heather's ear after they had finished eating. Heather was in charge of cleanup which turned out to be harder than she thought with Naya pressed so close to her. The blonde tried her hardest to wash dishes without breaking any of them. Heather smiled at her goofily.

"What?" Naya giggled, hugging Heather from behind. "It's a win, win for everyone."

"Amen to that," Ashley chipped in, peeling the paper liner off of another one of Heather's second place lemon muffins.

Naya laughed while Heather just rolled her eyes.

Heather knew that she could never make quite a meal like Naya. After Naya left to go home, the wide-awake blonde forced Ashley to stay up with her to brainstorm the perfect first date. However, Ashley's food coma state was proving to slow the process down.

"Could you at least pretend to sound interested in what I'm talking about right now?" Heather asked her friend who was falling asleep on her bed.

"Heather… it's freaking 1:30 in the morning… why can't we just do this later?" she mumbled into a pillow. "I thought you already had your first date? When you two got all kinky with the baking that one night at the café and then you forced me to stay awake to tell me all about it…"

Then she added, "I swear I'm having like déjà vu right now…"

"It was different back then… we're finally both on the same page."

"I think it still counts. So we good? Sleepy time?" Ashley yawned.

"If you don't wake up, I'll sit Zack on your face," Heather told her seriously.

Ashley rolled over on her back with a groan. Her arms and legs sprawled out over the majority of the bed while her eyes stared up at the ceiling.

"You're… so… cruel…" she whimpered and Heather rolled her eyes from the small corner that she was forced to move to on her mattress.

"Come on, Ash. You know this is a big deal. I want it to be intimate… but… you know, not too intimate?" Heather told her timidly as she smoothed over Zack's sleek fur. He purred softly in his sleep.

"What's wrong with intimate?"

"Nothing… I don't want to scare her off with something like super romantic or cheesy or anything. If I give her the wrong idea of moving things faster, what if she starts thinking I'm just using her? Or that I'm just another fan-girling Gleek who's going to propose to her after the next date? Small steps," Heather rambled.

Ashley rolled her head over to look at her and squinted her eyes at her.

"What?" Heather asked innocently.

The brunette clunked her head back down on the pillow and closed her eyes before answering, "You think too much… It just sounds like _you're_ the one who might be scared of a little bit of 'intimacy'."

She raised her arms up to do a quick little air quote when she said intimacy.

"What are you even talking about?"

"I really don't think Naya will bite if you get too close. Or she could be into that sort of thing. You know her better than I do," Ashley snorted at her own joke.

"I was serious about Zack and you know what he's like when I wake him up."

"Okay, okay… Calm your tits down. Just take her out to dinner or go see a movie or something. You know? Like what normal people do. She looks like a gal who would like a normal night out with her girlfriend," Ashley told her observationally.

Heather blushed at the term.

"That all just sounds too easy…"

"Well, to me it just sounds like you're trying to make my life miserable by not making a decision," Ashley complained. Heather ignored her.

"I still want it to be special. Dinner and a movie just sounds so…" Heather's thought wandered. Then it suddenly clicked. "You're a genius, Ash."

"Mhm… tell me something that I don't know."

"We still have that thing this weekend right?"

Ashley turned her head back to Heather and looked at her again, except this time curiously.

"Yes…" she said slowly, "But you said you didn't want to go?"

"Well, there has just been a change in plans," Heather said in a giddy voice, scratching Zack behind his ears.

Ashley simply chuckled knowingly as she curled up on Heather's bed.

"Good, glad we took care of that. Now sleepy Ashley is sleepy…" she mumbled and let her eyes droop shut. Heather frowned at her roommate asleep on her bed. It was her room after all.

Heather was waiting until she thought of something that would match the pace of their relationship. She figured that it was intimate, but not too intimate; just as she wanted. Nothing could bottle up her excitement. She couldn't wait to ask Naya and she hoped she would say yes… She strode into the Black Horse Café for the early prep before opening the next day, a lopsided closed lipped smile on her face. Her emotions radiated off her body as Heather hummed that tune from _Singin' in the Rain_. She couldn't get it out of her head.

"Well, I don't need to say good morning to you, Heather," Reese chuckled brightly. He smiled as he watched the bubbly blonde rock on the balls of her feet while tying her apron on with ease. He raised his brow inquisitively and looked over to Kaitlyn.

"I'm the one that needs a 'good morning'…" Kaitlyn grumbled from the corner as she rubbed at her tired eyes.

"Yah, I think a wake-me-up song would do you some good," Cody sniggered, attempting to put one of his blaring iPod buds into her ears. She grimaced and smacked him away.

Heather continued to hum happily, tossing a towel over her shoulder. She let her eyes settle on the three amazing people before her. They had no idea how much she loved them.

She walked to where Reese was organizing the new stock and gave him a big hug from behind. He let out a little surprised "oh" before relaxing into Heather's embrace in appreciation. Reese leaned against the side of the storage room doorframe and watched his second barista give his son a similar treatment. Cody stopped trying to annoy Kaitlyn when Heather ruffled at his shaggy hair and engulfed him in a warm hug. When she parted from him he stood there with a dopey grin on his wide mouth. Kaitlyn rolled her eyes before snagging his iPod and cranking the volume all the way up. Cody yelped and was forced to pluck out his other ear bud.

Heather giggled at Kaitlyn and Cody's playfulness, the teenager frowning at Kaitlyn and rubbing his ear. She leaned in close to Kaitlyn's side and gave her a fond kiss on the cheek. Heather knew for such a tough-girl, she truly was a softy. It was her way of telling her friend to never change. The pixie-hair cut brunette scrunched her eyebrows at her, not knowing at all where this affection was coming from. Heather's three Black Horse Café co-workers stared at her curiously as she spun around, gracefully picking up a package of paper cups and a clean empty coffee cup. While she danced out the room they all looked to each other and sighed.

Kaitlyn was the first to look down at her shoes.

"She's got it worse than I thought," Reese said, breaking the knowing silence amongst the three of them.

"I, for one, told you my personal feelings about the new customer. It's all her fault really. I think Heather could do better," Cody replied protectively.

"Oh shut up," Kaitlyn scolded. "You don't know anything. That girl has been giving us the best business we've had in years. Besides she makes her happy…"

"It's more than that though," Reese told Kaitlyn specifically. "You even said so…"

Kaitlyn didn't say anything. She didn't want things to change, but she did want the best for Heather. Was it selfish of her to feel so protective?

"You know it's time, right?" Reese told them solemnly.

"I don't want to…" Cody whined sadly.

"I don't either. But she needs this," Kaitlyn said simply.

They all knew. Kaitlyn was right.

* * *

><p>Just as Heather danced around the kitchen floors of the Black Horse Café, Naya was singing quietly along with her iPod as she walked through the Paramount lot. Her early morning voice gave her notes an extra rasp as she strode with a slight bounce in her step. Naya's bright and very unfamiliar mood at this time of day caught several eyes. But her mind was somewhere else, thinking of someone else that made her lips curve upwards slightly. She didn't know why, but she was playing all of her Michael Bublé songs on loop. There was something in his songs that made her turn up the volume a bit louder… It wasn't only what he was singing about, but how he sang it. And she sang back to him, almost as if they were singing a duet. Singing a song with Michael Bublé would definitely be a pretty awesome goal to check off on her bucket list…<p>

"Morning, bee," Kevin called out to her as he passed. She simply mussed her hand in his hair too absorbed in singing back to Mr. Bublé's silky voice to stop and chat. Kevin furrowed his brow at her, standing a little stunned as he watched her continue her path to her trailer.

"Michael Bublé?"

Dianna was sipping on her tea as she too just made her way on to set that morning. She stopped when she caught Kevin's befuddled look.

She gave a small chuckle.

"Cute look, Kev," she said flattening down his hair with her sweater covered hand. "Trying to bring in yet another new trend?"

"Something's up there…" he nodded over in Naya's direction. Dianna turned just in time to spot Naya whisking in to her trailer, catching a few husky notes of a familiar love song. Dianna raised an eyebrow at the odd image of Naya so cheerful in the morning. Her face was immediately replaced with a soft, knowing smile as hummed out the familiar tune finishing Naya's notes.

_All you have to do is touch my hand_

_And show me you understand_

_And that something happens to me…_

Kevin looked at her funny. She sipped her tea contentedly as she spoke the last lyric aloud:

"Yeah… some kind of wonderful."

The two followed Naya's voice up to her trailer. They politely knocked, but got no response. Dianna rolled her eyes and let herself in, peeking her head around the corner of the door.

"You better be decent!" she shouted. She caught Naya simply brushing her hair in front of her dresser. She let Kevin and herself fully in before shutting the door behind them. Naya saw the two of them in her mirror and smiled brightly at her Glee mates, singing the next song on her Michael Bublé playlist even louder. If Dianna were able to get over how absolutely adorable Naya looked, she would have been able to give more appreciation to her amazing take on the Bublé song. It was more of a thick, sultry and soulful vibe that Michael Bublé could never add to the song himself. She truly was an artist… When it came to understanding and interpreting a song, Dianna always secretly thought Naya was best at it. She had a way in making it her own, especially this sort of genre. Unfortunately, this confession would always have to remain a secret when your roommate was Lea Michele…

_I'm not surprised, not everything lasts_

_I've broken my heart so many times, I stopped keeping track_

_Talk myself in, I talk myself out_

_I get all worked up, then I let myself down…_

Naya sang into her brush towards Dianna and Kevin. Kevin threw himself onto her couch, snuggling up into it sleepily.

"I think she's officially lost it…" he told Dianna blandly as he watched Naya's little performance. The blonde smacked at Kevin's butt so she could squeeze in beside him, giving Naya a proper audience as she continued to get ready for the day's shoot whilst singing naturally.

_I tried so very hard not to lose it._

Dianna laughed ironically as Naya sang in Kevin's direction.

_I came up with a million excuses_

_I thought, I thought of every possibility_

Naya tossed her microphone acting brush at the pair in her trailer as she moved towards her closet to fetch her costume pieces; luckily Dianna caught it with the hand not holding her tea. They rolled their eyes as they willingly sang backup for the chorus for their friend.

_And I know someday that it'll all turn out_

_You'll make me work, so we can work to work it out_

_And I promise you, kid, that I give so much more than I get_

_I just haven't met you yet_

Naya hummed gently to the melody as she laid out her usual Cheerios uniform, but she was forced to pause and smile at the next few words. Naya recalled the wise advice that encouraged her to effortlessly fall for the girl behind the Black Horse Café counter, and whenever she thought it she always had to mentally thank Dianna. Naya believed in silly things like "love at first sight" and "soul mates". Sometimes it took longer than others to find them, but Naya knew that one person made for her was out there, as ridiculous as it sounded... It was the blonde with the wide, hazel eyes who had to remind her of that. She looked over appreciatively to her best friend.

_I might have to wait, I'll never give up_

_I guess it's half timing, and the other half's luck_

Naya tickled Dianna on the nose with a makeup brush. She scrunched it in response.

_Wherever you are, whenever it's right_

_You'll come out of nowhere and into my life_

The brunette spun back around to meddle with Kevin's glasses jokingly. Dianna, on the other hand, propped her chin in her palm and watched Naya intently. She wished she could memorize this. There was nothing more wonderful than seeing those who you most cared about fall in love… And Naya, most of all, deserved that above anyone.

When Kevin won his glasses back, Naya plucked one of her ear buds out.

"Morning, bee," she husked in a mocking voice.

"Someone totally got laid last night," he replied back and Naya surprisingly didn't respond with anything cheeky.

"On the contrary, and I actually don't mind keeping it PG at all. You and I both know that relationships are not all about sex," Naya lectured as she rubbed moisturizer over her lids and under her eyes.

"Hey, well don't blame me for assuming so. You're totally doing your 'I got laid' dance."

"This is definitely not her 'I got laid' dance," Dianna told him softly as she continued to listen to Naya hum while sifting through the script she found next to her seat. She thought aloud, "You really like highlighting don't you?"

Naya only chuckled as she glanced through her mirror back at Dianna. When fanning through the pages it looked like a whirl of color. Heather, being so observant, noticed Naya's obsession with highlighting and adding notes to her script after spending a couple afternoons with her in Naya's trailer. One ordinary day, Heather brought her one of the Black Horse Café's paper cups filled with an entire rainbow's spectrum of highlighters to add to Naya's collection. Naya made an effort to use every single one of them. Heather always had a magical way to make any ordinary day so much more special…

She made a side glance at the gift that remained on a corner of her messy dresser. She smiled at the cup adorned with Heather's handwriting all over it. Notes of encouragement, inside jokes, and comments that made her blush were scattered in perfectly curved scrawl.

"Believe me. It helps in so many more ways than you can imagine," Naya replied to Dianna's quiet comment. Dianna lifted her eyes back up, raising an eyebrow curiously.

Kevin shook his head, "Stop getting off topic Dianna. I'm telling ya, she's lying. She totally got laid last night."

"How was the date last night by the way?" Dianna smoothed over Kevin's comment.

"Again, Dianna… it wasn't a date. We just hung out, cooked dinner, had dessert… the usual," Naya corrected her casually. Dianna arched that brow impossibly higher, examining her friend over the papers of the multi-colored script.

"Dessert is codename for sex, just in case you needed translation, Di," Kevin snickered hugging one of Naya's couch pillows. Dianna could see Naya roll her eyes in the mirror as she applied her fake lashes.

"Your definition of a date is certainly different from mine then…" the blonde sung.

"Her roommate was there," Naya noted and she turned around to face her two friends. "I quote that we were being 'so adorably, coupley that it was making her sick.' She basically kicked me out before anything could happen. Besides, if I went by your definition of a date then you and I should be practically married by now…"

Dianna laughed. She had a point.

"Nah, definition of a real date is if you get it on afterwards. And end discussion," Kevin interrupted.

"That definitely does not classify a true date, Kevin," Dianna lectured. "Aside from the point though. When are you planning for this 'official date' to happen? Because to me, you guys are already official."

"We don't like putting a status on anything. I like where we are and so does she. That's all that matters to me," Naya answered with a shrug.

"So no romantic first date?" Dianna huffed.

"It'll happen… eventually."

"And what exactly are you waiting for?" Kevin asked. "You waitin' for her to ask you because she's got the pants the relationship?"

"Oh, shut up."

"I'm totally right," Kevin nudged at Dianna with his foot.

"I honestly haven't really thought about it. Besides, if I recall from the first time I tried to ask her out, it kind of fell through the floor," she said glaring at Dianna, referring to the time the other girl forced her to call the Latte Girl and ask her out to one of their promotional events.

"Hey, it all worked out in the end didn't it?"

"Point being, I don't think she's into the whole black dress, cocktail, spotlight thing…" Naya concluded.

"Well, I never said you need to impress her with some fancy event, Naya. I'm pretty sure she'd be happy just spending time with you."

Naya sat down in her rolling chair and began to spin around in thought.

"I say do something fun," Kevin chirped in.

"No, I was thinking of taking her out on a really boring date, bee…"

Kevin sat up, "What I mean is that you should do something spontaneous."

Naya's ears perked at the words as Heather's voice rang out from a distant memory on a particular rainy night:

_Well, normally espresso drinkers are the type of people who are rather unpredictable…_

"Please do give us examples," Dianna asked, sipping her tea quietly.

"I took Jenna up to the roof of sound stage 3 because she wanted to go star gazing. Even though you can't really see all too many stars in L.A., I'd say she was still pretty impressed with me."

"Whoa…." Naya said, stopping in mid-spin.

"Really?" Dianna asked in slight disbelief.

"Wow, you guys act so surprised… I know how to swoon a lady if need be," he chuckled, but then continued seriously, "And it seemed to work out pretty well for the both of us."

Naya smiled softly, "How in the world did you manage to get up there?"

"I've got connections, bee," he said with a smug face.

"Well, doubt I can top that…" she sighed, continuing to spin around slowly.

"Not that it isn't romantic, Kevin. I truly am impressed, but I do think you should just take her somewhere where the two of you can just be yourselves… Somewhere where you guys can relax, where you don't have to put up an act."

Naya stopped in mid-spin for the second time, when a thought hit her.

"Somewhere spontaneous… somewhere we can just laugh at ourselves," she said with a bright smile on her lips.

She sprung from her seat and gave both her bee and Lady Di a giant hug.

"You two are the best."

"Glad to help?" Dianna replied, looking at Kevin slightly confused. He simply shrugged.

"Okay, now get out so I can put Santana together," she snapped back into her usual self, turning back to her wardrobe.

The two of them shook their heads at each other and got up to leave.

"I hope this never changes," Kevin whispered to Dianna as he slipped out the door.

Dianna took a second glance back at the actress, who had a glow about her face that looked anything but Santana-like. She hummed happily through smiling lips.

"Yeah, me neither."

* * *

><p>It all started with a polite "Hey, Heather… I think we need to have a Black Horse family meeting." It wasn't anything out of the ordinary to have a little chat amongst the four of them. They used to have them at the start of every week for that matter. She didn't think anything of it. That was before they all sat around the island in the kitchen and five minutes had passed by in complete silence. She looked to her three friends and colleagues. None of them wanted to start speaking, nor did they want to make eye contact with her. It made her fidget in her seat nervously. She felt like she was in trouble… Heather thought back on the past few days, frantically trying to remember if she had done something to upset any of them. True, it has been a little difficult matching up to her hours to still be qualified as at least part-time. No one had mentioned anything, so she figured they had managed to work it all out. She just promised to work more weekends, which of course wasn't the greatest, but it was necessary. Other than that, she's recalled being cheery and helpful to all her customers, on time to her shifts, and cleaned up properly when she had to close... The only thing she could think of was when Naya and her made a bit of a wreck in the storage room during their little make-out, make up session a while back. She couldn't see why Kaitlyn would rat her out, but she may have let it slip on accident.<p>

"Uh… if this is because of that mess I left in the storage room last week, I can totally explain," she said breaking the silence.

"Mess in the storage room?" Reese questioned, finally meeting Heather's gaze. Kaitlyn coughed uncomfortably and shook her head frantically at Heather.

"Um, sorry what?" Heather quickly tried to cover miserably and Kaitlyn smacked her palm over her forehead.

Reese smiled weakly and waved his hand dismissively, "Don't worry about that. It can be no worse than Cody making a disaster with our inventory."

"Hey!" the teen called out defensively.

"I was actually trying to figure out a good time for all of us to all sit down and talk together… but it's been a little hard to do that lately with everyone's schedules."

"Yeah, Zach has got me working the oddest times… I can do my best to pick up a couple more shifts in the early mornings if needed. I'm sure he'll understand—"

"No need for that, Hemo. It's not exactly about your hours… You see, we've all discussed it and we all agree that it's amazing that your involvement on Glee has grown. We're so proud of you…" Reese told her truthfully, a soft glint in his eyes.

Heather blushed and bashfully tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Well, I couldn't have done any of it without any of you guys. I've learned so much being here. It's the best job I can ask for."

Reese sighed.

"That's what we wanted to talk to you about today."

Heather furrowed her brow and Reese continued.

"While I'm glad you have gotten a lot out of this job, all of us agree that it's no one's first occupational choice."

Heather tried to crack a smile, "Oh come on. People underestimate how much we do to keep the place running. It takes a lot to deal with people screaming at you for forgetting to add whipped cream in their mochas or something like that. I love it here."

Reese smiled back appreciatively and nodded, "That's not what we mean Heather. I'm glad that you've enjoyed your time here..."

Heather was starting to notice how Reese was speaking too much in the past tense for her liking. She swallowed thickly.

"But, we think this is all holding you back."

There's a particular feeling people get when something absolutely miserable happens. Commonly, your face starts to feel all numb and your head goes a little hazy, and if it's something extremely bad, then you get this nauseated churning feeling in the pit of your stomach. Everything just aches and you're not quite sure how to respond for a good five minutes because your brain is having a hard time processing all that has just happened. That's what was happening to Heather as she sat small in the Black Horse Café's kitchen.

"Are… are you firing me?" she said barely audible.

"I voted against this," Cody mumbled and Reese put his hand up to quiet him.

"No, we're not firing you Heather."

"But you want me to leave?" she reasoned as she looked at him and then over to Kaitlyn who was still staring at the tiled floor in silence. "All of you?"

"Of course not, of course not," Reese consoled taking Heather's hand across the island counter. "If I could, I would want you to work here forever, Hemo. You may not know, but before you came, business was plummeting… we almost couldn't pay for the lease the month before I hired you. The Mrs. and I were ambivalent of hiring anyone with having so many loans, but when you came in asking for an application, I couldn't help but hire you on the spot. I've never regretted that choice, and I have to give some credit to you Heather."

Heather lifted her eyes to his honest grey ones.

"Ever since you came around, business had never been better. Things suddenly began working together so efficiently. You completed this little family we had."

She could feel her throat tighten as he spoke. Heather couldn't imagine not being a barista at the Black Horse Café.

"I can quit ya know? After the tour is done, I can come straight back and start working full time again. I promise I will… I—"

"Stop," Kaitlyn suddenly said sharply from her corner. Heather's mouth snapped shut when she heard her speak.

"Don't you get it? You're better than working at some café, Heather; no offense Reese."

"None taken."

"All of us knew that you were meant for something greater than making lattes all morning long. You have no idea how confused I was when I was training you… sure you made good coffee, but you didn't really belong. I thought you would last a month. One month and you'd be back out there doing whatever dancers do to make money. But you didn't leave… and I got too comfortable with you being around. Even still, all of us could see how you weren't completely happy," Kaitlyn explained.

"You're one of the most talented individuals I've ever met. You know me, and I don't admit shit like this to anyone. You've just been granted the opportunity of a lifetime. I know you've been dreaming of this and now you're saying you're going to throw it all away just to come back here? That's got to be a joke," she ended her rant weakly and then tried to calm herself down by apologizing, "I'm sorry. I just can't sit here and watch you throw it all away…"

Heather looked to her sadly.

"You're good at making coffee, Heather. But just because you're good at something doesn't mean that's what you're supposed to do for the rest of your life," she ended quietly.

"As selfish as we want to be, we have to give you up to better things. I think of you and Kaitlyn as the daughters I never had," Reese told her trying to compensate for Kaitlyn's outburst.

"I don't understand why everyone is hating on me right now…" Cody mumbled under his breath and Kaitlyn nudged him quietly, offering a soft smile while rolling her eyes.

"Both of you have put so much love and care into this place. You've really helped it grow, even before the recent customer that's bringing in the extra crowd," Reese commented on Naya. "But I knew both of you weren't going to stay here forever. You both have dreams and future's that go way beyond coffee and tea making. I know Kaitlyn is eventually going to graduate from college and get an amazing job and I know you're going to have an amazing career as a dancer. I never expected you to stay here forever, Hemo. Did you?"

Heather sat quietly for a moment as she felt the weight of the question. She remembered back to the promise she made to herself when she first got the job at the Black Horse Café. She told herself when the time was right she would make her way back to dancing, back to the one thing that was always constant. Somewhere in the middle she got lost in all the coffee grinds and sharpie scribbled cups. She had found herself a home here, too afraid of going back thinking it would only lead to the same results. But, now the time _was_ right. She had all the cards in her hands, but she was unsure of which to lay down on the table.

"I… I don't know. I was just thankful to have gotten a job to begin with. I never thought that far into the future. I'm comfortable here."

"And we'll always be here. We've made a name for ourselves with your help and I can't see this place going anywhere anytime soon," Reese said, trying to brighten the mood. "You should be happy with whatever decision you make. Know that we will support you either way. You can leave whenever you're ready and come back whenever you like. You are _always_ welcome here."

"So… what happens next?"

"I'm not kicking you out, Heather," he chuckled as he observed her expression of slight panic. "I'm going to be posting around that we have an opening. We've needed an extra pair of hands around here anyways. Just be prepared when I do find someone to help train them. And I expect all three of you to be welcoming to the newcomer," he glared at Cody and Kaitlyn who both huffed at the thought.

Heather nodded quietly knowing what all of this meant.

She took a shaky, deep breath in and wiped away a stray tear that leaked from her blurry eyes. She laughed a little at how emotional she was being.

"I just can't imagine leaving you guys. I love you all so much. I love this _place_ too much."

"Heather, I think there's way more to love where you're going," Kaitlyn spoke wisely, her normally glaring eyes going soft. Heather smiled lightly, looking down bashfully.

With everything that just happened, she felt like she wasn't all too sure of this new place she was going to. But what Kaitlyn said was one fact that she could trust.

* * *

><p>Walking through the Paramount lot felt surreal after everything that had happened in the past few hours that morning. Reese let her off her shift a little earlier than normal because she was making Kaitlyn emotionally incomprehensible. The normally stern barista was making their early morning customers uncomfortable with her monotone greetings. Heather didn't know quite what to think or how to feel. Half empty? Half full? She wasn't sure… She was more than appreciative that her coworkers were so supportive of her dreams. Heather had no idea how much their relationships had evolved to what they had now. They were like family, and that made it so much harder for Heather to let go. It was home.<p>

After they had talked, all four of them held each other in silence in the middle of the kitchen for a decent ten minutes. It wasn't until there was a persistent knock on the front door from impatient customers waiting for the shop to open when they broke apart. Reese and Cody went ahead to open up for the morning rush while the two girls lingered back for a few more moments. Heather could still feel Kaitlyn's whispered words against her cheek:

_"I hate that you're leaving me here. I hate that you have to be so god damn special, you know that? Going off and becoming some famous choreographer… making Britney Spears' newest music video or some shit like that…"_

_ Heather chuckled sadly, "You're making this all sound like I'm never going to see you again."_

_ "I know, I know… I'm being overdramatic. I just think sometimes, Hemo, you don't realize how much of an effect you have on people. You can really make a difference. With this job that you've got, you can really do something great… way bigger than making people smile when you sneak them extra whipped cream or espresso shots, which I never ratted you out on even though it's against policy."_

_ Heather looked to the floor bashfully, not quite sure what to say back to such words coming from her friend who had always been so critical. Kaitlyn embraced her again and sighed._

_ "Make the right choice, Heather. You can do all that and you can do it all with the girl that fell in love with you in some little coffee shop. Make the right choice…"_

That girl that fell in love with her in a coffee shop… That girl that was really the reason that got her dancing again. That girl that made things look a little brighter and made the world a little more bearable. That girl that caused Heather to smile her lopsided grin constantly.

Heather rapped lightly on the door to Naya's trailer. Her wandering feet must of have led her there unknowingly. She could hear that husky voice singing lightly from the inside. A lopsided, dopey smile immediately spread on her lips. Naya swung the door open, her fingers toying with placing in her earring. Heather smiled even wider as she looked at Naya in her Cheerios costume. After finding out how quirky Naya truly was, it was a little unfitting seeing her as a popular cheerleader. Heather recalled Naya telling her how she had always wanted to be a cheerleader in high school, but wasn't "cool enough" to get on the squad. The actress then chastised herself for wanting things in high school that seemed so obsolete now… Heather of course made her feel better by admitting some of her embarrassing moments during high school. The two laughed at how the world had turned full circle and Naya had finally gotten her wish, six years after the matter.

Naya returned Heather's smile, her dimples more evident than ever.

_ Yah, that girl that fell in love with her in a coffee shop would always be the right choice…_ Heather thought.

Naya plucked her iPod headphones from her ears and leaned on the doorframe. She swung her headphones in a circle as she eyed Heather up and down.

"Why isn't this certainly one of the best morning surprises," she said in that low voice, her bright smile quirked to the side.

Definitely_ the right choice…_

"Your surprise also comes bearing coffee," Heather replied quietly, offering Naya the single cup she was holding in her hand. She had no idea that it may be one of the last.

"Even better," she said taking the cup from Heather with one hand and quickly intertwining their fingers together with the other. She tugged her in to follow, the door clicking shut behind them.

Naya went back in front of her dresser mirror to finish up readying herself for a day's worth of filming. Heather watched the actress's remedy for a few seconds by the door. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun and she wasn't wearing any shoes. She looked so beautiful today. Not that she was ever not beautiful, but today she was exceptionally so.

"I was just thinking about you," Naya told her as she looked at her through the mirror. Heather snapped out of her stupor and walked over to sit up on some empty counter space so she could watch Naya more properly. She soaked up every inch of her. Heather began handing Naya various moisturizers, foundations, and liners to help her get ready. She couldn't believe the amount of makeup they required actors to wear on screen. If she had it her way she would roll out of bed without doing much more than brushing her hair and teeth.

"Yeah? What about?"

"I was thinking of the night I first kissed you," Naya told her straight out. Heather blushed as a flood of memories of them together at the café invaded her mind.

"Which time?" she joked.

Naya rolled her eyes, "The time the two of us got stuck in the rain when I took you home. I ran after you to tell you something, but I had forgotten what it was."

"Yeah, I remember…" Heather reminisced as she swung her legs back and forth. Her lips quivered slightly at the thought of never having late nights at the café with Naya like that one again.

"I felt like such an idiot after…"

Heather cocked her head to the side, "For what?"

"For not kissing you properly."

Naya watched as Heather smiled to herself. Naya had a feeling she had already known what she just told her. She turned to fully face the blonde, her fingers teasing over her knee.

"That's the reason I ran after you. I didn't really have anything to say, I just wanted to kiss you."

She said it so matter-of-factly that it made Heather's heart swoon even more.

"Well, I guess I don't feel so bad for totally checking you out that night then…" Heather joked causing Naya to raise an eyebrow. Then Heather said softly, blue eyes looking to her sincerely, "If I had known, I would have told you that I had wanted to know what it would feel like to kiss you since the moment I met you. The first time."

That's all it took for Naya to toss her lip gloss back onto the dresser and walk the two steps up to Heather, leaning up and capturing her lips fully. It was short and sweet, but it was a wonderful hello. Naya nudged her nose against hers as they pressed their foreheads together. Her hands rested on her thighs.

"If I had things my way we'd be kissing all the time," Naya giggled happily as Heather squeezed at her waist.

"Fine by me. Lips are meant for kissing after all, aren't they?"

"Couldn't agree more," Naya smiled. "Not that I'm at all disappointed you're here, but I thought you weren't coming in till later for when we film the dance number? And you get to watch me get my jiggle on."

Naya shook her arm out. The dancer smiled at her, shaking her head.

"Yeah, uh… Reese let me off my morning shift a little early. Said I should take a break… so I thought I'd try to catch you before you go film," Heather tried to rid of the sadness in her voice by quickly asking a question, "Which I'm assuming is soon? I'm sorry if I'm stealing time away from you getting ready."

Heather could tell Naya saw right through her act as her eyes bounced around her face curiously.

"You're not stealing any time at all. They could wait. Besides, Chris always takes like ten more minutes than everyone else because of the ridiculous amount of layers that go with his outfits."

The blonde smiled appreciatively before looking down at her hands. Naya raised her brows worriedly as she tried to seek out Heather's eyes again.

"Hey," she said softly, lifting the other girl's chin up, "Talk to me."

"W-Why do you like me?" Heather rushed out weakly.

The question took Naya slightly aback, but she answered honestly.

"I really don't know where I would begin… Would it be cheesy of me to say everything?"

"Absolutely everything?" Heather asked nervously.

"Yes, Heather," she replied seriously, becoming equally worried. "I wouldn't want to change anything about you. I think that everything about you is wonderful…"

Heather sighed picking at her fingers. This was what she was afraid of. Things were going to change and they were going to change fast… she didn't want this to be the stupid reason their relationship wouldn't work. Naya worried her brow, frowning deeply. She grasped at Heather's fidgeting hands.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"No, no… you always say everything right. It's just… Would you still like me if I wasn't your Latte Girl anymore?"

Naya cracked a smile, "Heather, of course. Is that what you're worried about? That I would stop liking you if you couldn't bring me free coffees every morning? You know I couldn't care less about that. Sure I need my coffee in the morning, but I can get it myself too."

"That's… that's not entirely what I mean."

"Then what is it, Heather?" she asked. Heather opened her mouth, but all she could do was a let out a long breath. It was as if Heather had said it anyways, and the actress immediately turned angry, "Oh my god, did they fire you?"

"What? No, they didn't fire me. Well… not technically," Heather tried to explain.

"I swear if they fired you because they think you're not working hard enough, I seriously will go over there and—"

"No, Naya, you don't have to do anything like that," Heather smiled at the notion, taking Naya's hands in hers. She couldn't imagine the sweet Naya she knew doing anything all too threatening anyways, "I actually couldn't ask them to be any more supportive than they already are. They are all so excited for me. Normally, bosses and coworkers get all stressed out when they find out one of their employees is leaving. But they took it so well. I mean, I should be happy… right?"

Naya smiled softly, understanding her concerns, "It's not a transition where you can snap your fingers and everything is going to feel exactly how it was before. Yes, you should be happy that they were understanding, but it's okay to feel this way, Heather. You aren't just leaving coworkers, you're leaving some of your closest friends. New beginnings like this are always bittersweet."

"Of course I'm sad that I'm not going to see them as much as I used to, but I know here I have another family waiting."

"Exactly, we all love you here too, Heather," Naya confirmed.

"It's gonna sound so lame, but… the Black Horse Café brought us together. What I have with you is the best thing that could have ever possibly happened to me. Sometimes I can't really believe it's all real… and that I'm going to wake up tomorrow morning finding out it was all just a dream," Heather told her and Naya smiled at her honesty. "This all happened because of that place. All those nights we stayed there just to learn silly facts about each other, early mornings at that corner table to start the days right, that night in the rain, the first and second time we really kissed… It all wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been your Latte Girl. What happens now that I'm not?"

Naya's smile widened the more Heather spoke. _Oh, the way she worried and the things she worried about…_

"Heather, first off that's adorable, not lame. And I believe it too. But you want know what else I believe?"

Naya thought Dianna's voice:

_Fate has laid a hand on you two._

"I think all those things would have happened in one form or another, regardless if you were a coffee barista or not. I honestly couldn't care less what your job was. You could have been a McDonald's server or con-artist by night for all I care," that made Heather crack a smile. "I would have found my way to you somehow. And I always will."

Heather too had felt that they had some sort of magical way of finding each other, but hearing Naya's words made it true. It made her feel half-full…No, more than half-full. With Naya everything felt more complete. This was the girl that _she_ fell in love with at a coffee shop. But coffee shop or no coffee shop… things like this don't just happen by chance.

"Bottom line is, Hemo," Naya continued, looking at her seriously. "They don't want to push you into anything you're not ready for, they just want you to follow your dreams."

Heather could tell how much Naya struggled with saying "they" instead of "I". But she didn't need to say it because, like always, Naya seemed to read her mind. Heather could swear she saw her tanned cheeks turn a slight shade of pink before she averted her gaze bashfully. The brunette cleared her throat.

"Just don't let anyone else influence your decision, okay?"

"Even if you're a big deciding factor?"

"Yes, especially me…" Naya replied back softly.

She kissed Naya's nose in appreciation, for just being her incredible self. The shorter girl scrunched her nose under her lips in response.

"How do you always know the perfect things to say?" Heather told her, Naya's warm cheek pressed against her own.

"Normally, I'm the worst at advice, but you seem to inspire the best in me."

Heather shook her head smiling, "No, I think you're always the best at words."

Naya smiled wide looking up at Heather, palms still stroking up and down her thighs.

"Matter of fact, I think anything you do with your lips is pretty awesome," Heather told her boldly. Naya quirked her brow.

"Do you now?" she asked, leaning up and kissing Heather's lips softly. The blonde just nodded wordlessly, a big dopey grin on her lips. She happily leaned forward for more. She felt Naya's tongue tentatively brush against her lower lip, tasting her. Naya couldn't resist emitting a quiet, contented sigh at the feel of Heather's lips. Heather pulled on Naya's hips forcing the shorter girl to stand up on her tiptoes. Their lips melded together wonderfully and for a second Heather realized she wasn't chewing any gum. _The one time I forget…_ she cursed in her mind. The thought quickly escaped her mind when Naya's tongue danced with her own. Teasing hands wandered up and down her thighs, making Heather's heart beat faster and her tummy twist in tight knots. The actress was the first to break away to take a breath.

"Heather…" Naya mumbled, feathering kisses on the corners of Heather's mouth, on her chin, her nose, and her cheeks. Heather smiled.

"God, I'm so in love…" Heather started breathlessly, but the words immediately caught on the tip of her tongue. Her cheeks suddenly felt twice as hot and her eyes widened.

Naya leaned back slightly, catching sparkly blue eyes. Her lips were curved upwards in a curious, mesmerized smile.

"With your lips," Heather choked. It was the first thing that came to her mind. She mentally reprimanded herself. Well, at least it was true. "They're like the softest, most delicious things I've ever kissed before," she made up slightly disoriented with everything that just transpired.

Naya smiled knowingly. She seemed to always know…

"I'm in love with your lips too…"

And without further question, her lips were back on Heathers. This time it was hungrier, like Naya needed her more than air; like she was trying to tell Heather her last dying wish. And she kissed her back with a tenderness that drove Naya mad. Naya's fingers kept drawing patterns over Heather's jean-clad thighs making her heart race faster and faster. Her body was on edge and her skin buzzed with the warm sensation of Naya pressed so close. It was like they were going down a twisting highway, and Naya was driving insanely. She wasn't too sure how much she would be able to tolerate before yanking Naya up on that counter with her. It was when those warm fingertips brushed ever so slightly under the hem of her shirt when Heather just about lost it.

"Nay…" Heather pleaded against her lips. Naya smiled wickedly, loving when Heather shortened her name like that. She backed up, Heather trying to follow her lips hazily, catching the tip of her nose. Naya chuckled. When she opened her eyes she noticed that Naya's had gone a shade darker. She wondered if her eyes had done the same.

Naya swallowed thickly and spoke out in a raspy voice, "You have no idea how much I want you right now."

Heather's eyes widened and a wave of warmth crashed over her entire body, an icy chill shortly following down her spine. It flushed across her already tingling skin. The trailer seemed so much smaller and the air much thicker. It almost felt as thick as the time they had baked éclairs that night in the Black Horse Café kitchen.

Naya was so honest. Then again, she couldn't recall a time when she hadn't been honest. Heather wasn't used to it. She was used to having to search for nuances in voice pitch through a phone line for the past few years trying to figure out what Taylor wanted. But right now, everything was so simple, so bare. It was as if she had been suddenly told the truth on what love was supposed to be like with Naya by her side. It was so easy…

Heather didn't reply. She just cupped Naya's flushed cheeks in her palms and brought her lips back to hers. Heather could hear Naya's breath catch just before she kissed her again, gently. She loved it when Naya got all flustered. Heather's hands moved to her waist and her fingers began dancing across the enflamed skin of Naya's flat stomach. It made the shorter girl's knees shaky. Naya had never wanted something so much, but there was a nagging in the back of her mind that was left forgotten.

"B-Before… before we keep going…" Naya stuttered against Heather's soft lips. "I actually wanted to ask you if you wanted to—"

There was an abrupt knocking on the trailer door. Both of them groaned as real life smacked them in the face.

"For the first time ever, I wish we were somewhere else…" Heather mumbled into Naya's neck, breathing her in deeply. She dropped one last kiss to Naya's bare shoulder.

"Ditto," Naya replied in agreement and frustration.

The two distanced themselves from each other, giving a little room to cool off. Heather cocked her head to the side.

"What… what did you wanna ask me?" she breathed out still in a daze.

"I—" the banging on the door grew insistent and Heather frowned, realizing she was probably keeping the actress.

"I'm getting you in trouble."

"Don't worry about it," Naya waved off. She opened her mouth, but Telly's panicked voice echoing from outside replaced her own. She huffed. Heather kissed her cheek lightly acknowledging that it was okay. Naya squeezed her hand before yanking the door open. She was ready to unsnap Telly's little fanny pack and smack him in the head with it. But before she could even start reprimanding him, he talked over her in a fluster.

"We've got drama on set. You better hurry," the normally goofy PA told her seriously. Naya furrowed her brow at this.

"What's wrong?"

"They'll explain everything once they have everyone together," he said and then in his typical Telly voice added, "Why the fuck is it like one hundred degrees in here? It smells like coffee and…"

His words drifted when he noticed Heather quickly jump off Naya's dresser. He raised his eyebrow and clicked his tongue at Naya. The actress blushed and quickly tried to recover.

"You were saying there was some sort of emergency?"

Telly snapped out of his suspicious glare, "Right. Good thing you're here too, Heather. Zach may need your help… I swear the man looks so lost, he just needs someone to hold his hand right now."

Both girls looked to each other quizzically. Naya finished getting ready in record time and they quickly followed Telly who was speaking to them a mile a minute. All Heather kept thinking was whatever trouble that was happening on set better be worth what may have happened in Naya's trailer.

* * *

><p>I want to spread the word that one of our very own is trying to make it to the big leagues! That's right, Brittana writer MGMK is co-writing a script for an indie film. Check out this link to what it's all about:<strong> www. indiegogo projectsbawlin-a-short-film/x/2336139?c=home**


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